Victims of Rage
by Balti K
Summary: Collaboration with Pheonix1855. This is a side-shot to our story Obsessed. More info about everything from Bella's family's POV. On Hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

Victims of Rage

Chapter 1

James

I worry about her, my sister, little Bella. I called her BB growing up, even though she hated it. "Bella Bambina." Our nana would sing to her, making up songs to entertain us while she cooked the Sunday dinner. It was a tradition that would never die, I hoped. Whatever else might be said about- or against- my family, let it never be said that we lost the traditions. We took care of our family. We took care of our business, in all its varied forms. We kept up our customs. Ironic though, that the one most like the old generations would be the one to go against them.

Bellisima, as Papi would call her, belonged more to their generation than our own. She was everything he could have ever wanted in a daughter, or a sister. Demure, intelligent, beautiful, humble; they were all so proud. Everyone who met Bella fell in love with her, all through her life. But she never saw the power she had over them. It was in her shy smile, and her kind words. Bella had few harsh words for anyone, even when they were more than deserved. Several of those harsh words had been reserved for Edward and our father. She hated being protected, looked over. She wanted to be just like any of her friends at school. But the fact was that she wasn't. Bella was a mafia princess. And though we all tried to keep her insulated from any form of business, things got back to her anyway. She didn't have many true friends. There were always those who wanted their children to be our friends, hoping they could get something out of it. But those were pathetically easy to spot. After all, even a child can tell when someone is scared of you, or lying. It taints all their actions toward you.

Father and Mother tried to keep our upbringing as normal as possible. We didn't flaunt our wealth, though we lived comfortably. We attended private school, but so did everyone we knew. But it was kind of hard to hide the large men posted around us all the time. Most families I knew didn't have bodyguards that lived with them or dropped the kids off at school everyday. It took Bella a long time to understand that. Things didn't really click into place until the day she came home from school with a love note from a boy when she was 13. She was so excited, until she told Dad. The boy's family wasn't well off, wasn't what Charlie wanted for his little girl. Even worse, his father was a police detective. My father had gone nuts. He was convinced it was all part of a plot to get to him. He may have been right, but that's a little low, even for the cops in this town. Though Renee tried to reason with him that this was normal, the boy just liked Bella, it's all part of growing up; Charlie wasn't having it. He nearly had her transfer to an all-girls school. Renee was able to talk him out of that, but Bella was still forbidden to speak to him again. So much drama over an invitation to a dance. Of course, Edward hadn't been any better than Charlie. Bella was furious. Why would who her father is make any difference to Matt? After that, Bella started to pay more attention to what went on around her. Her own moral compass was strong enough that once she figured out where our money came from, she no longer wanted to be a part of it. She just wanted to be a normal teenage girl, and that was definitely not allowed.

I know it hurt Edward terribly when she rebelled against our life, and him. Being twelve years older than her, they weren't very close, at least not in Bella's mind. But I understood Edward better than she did. He adored her; from the time she was a baby. He would gladly have given his life several times over just for her to be happy and safe. But the other side of that love was that protective instinct, that one that told him no one was good enough for his little sister. To him, she would always be the little darling he had pushed on the swings when she was a toddler. He had a hard time letting his guard down though and showing her much emotion at all though. He was being groomed to take over the family when Charlie got too old and wanted to retire. Charlie didn't believe in showing weakness, to anyone. He balanced it though. His children never doubted his love. Edward just had a harder time adapting and learning to show his love too. Things got better when we met and fell for Alice. She made him smile in a way I hadn't seen since we were boys. He started to understand that he didn't have to hide all his emotions to be strong. Sometimes strength can come from letting people in and showing them that you care. Too bad by that point the damage with Bella had already been done. Perhaps if she knew how much he cared, they could have been closer.

I think the only reason Bella and I were as close as we were was my covert operations. I was in charge of appearing "above board." I had a law degree, and I used it. I actually did a lot of _pro bono_ work. It kept me busy between cases that needed managing for our organization. On top of that, it kept me happy. I loved helping out people who were getting unfairly prosecuted for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or my personal favorite, DWNW, Driving While Not White.

There had been a huge upsurge in that since 9-11. Cops in this area pulled over anyone and used the PATRIOT Act as justification for loads of unlawful searches. A lot of people got pulled in on totally trumped up charges, just to fill a lazy officer's arrest quota. But these guys were bringing up kids for having les than and 1/8th oz . of pot no them. Now, I'm all for fighting terrorism, but really, intelligence is more than an IQ score. It also refers to reliable data used to apprehend true criminals and intercept covert operations. Of course, our local PD wasn't too good at that, otherwise we wouldn't still be in business. Most of the people I defended were truly innocent of any real wong-doing. I would have passed the case on otherwise. We don't always operate inside the law, but my family loves being Americans. We love our country and will die to defend it. We have, over the years. Hell, it's why I served 5 years as a Marine.

I always smile as I look back on my years in the Corps. Edward never understood my devotion to it. Truthfully, I don't think he could have. There's no way too comprehend the bonds formed in a war zone without having been there. No way to explain the absolute trust you had to have in your men, to do their jobs and get you out alive, whatever the mission. It had nothing to do with personal gain, or profit; just brotherhood. I knew that if I needed help, I could call any of the men from my unit and they would be there, just as I would for them. It was just the way of the Corp., too many years putting your very life in someone else's hands. Truthfully, I think Edward was a little jealous of my time there. Not only of the bonds I formed with my men, but the bond with Bella, which only strengthened while I was gone. Every mail day, I had a letter from her. They weren't too long, just filled with normalcy, with family, with home. Her letters were a welcome reprieve from the monotony of the desert and war. For just a little while, I wasn't Sgt. Masen, I was just Brother James, listening to my baby sister.

Bella's letters were often full of her frustration with all the restrictions she had at home. I knew she envied my freedom. I hoped that in being her sounding board, she was able to tell me the things she couldn't voice to the others. I even helped her arrange dates and talked Dad and Edward into allowing her first, and only, boyfriend. Riley was a good kid; sweet, kind, scared out of his wits. He would never have made an inappropriate move on Bella, half because of us, and half because 3 years after they stopped dating, he came out of the closet as gay. Bella never knew any of that though. All she knew was that she had a sweetheart in high school that was a year older, and that when he went to college (in San Francisco), things didn't work out. But the arrangement worked out for all involved. Bella got a "normal" teen romance, Riley got his parents off his back while he still lived with them, and we knew Bella was safe. Win, win for everyone involved.

I had shared Bella's letters with some of my men, a few close friends who I knew would benefit from just the little slice of home. I knew my corporal, a good friend, had a little sister and would love the escape of hearing the triumphs and tribulations of my little Bellina. I made sure to read her letters aloud every week, once he was there. It's hard to be in the desert, so removed from home, without even the simplest of reminders of what you're fighting for. Bella never let me forget. I doubt she had any idea how her words impacted the men I served with as well as me. I think she may have been embarrassed had she known. But the faith she had that we were doing the right thing, the absolute trust in each of us, combined with the details of everyday life at home; gave us all the strength to keep fighting. That's just the type of person she's always been, able to inspire an army with just a few words. Heaven help us if she ever decides she wants a career in politics. The worst part is, she would probably turn us all in for racketeering as soon as she got elected.

The thought of Bella as mayor made me smile. She was so resistant to any attention, we'd never have to worry about it. Fairly quickly though, my grin faded. I was on edge about Bella. Something just felt off. It was a little odd that Bella had missed her normal conference call with the family this week. She had never missed one before. I'd like to think she just was busy with a friend, but something hadn't sat well with me about it for a day or two now. It just wasn't like her. So I'd been on edge and would probably continue to be until I knew she was safe.

I was interrupted from thoughts of my little sister by the voice of my assistant on the phone.

"Mister Masen, you have a call on line 2. It's your mother. She says it's important."

"Very well, please put her through, Jessica."

I waited a moment before my mother's sobs rang through the line. "James, it's Bella. She's been kidnapped!"


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone! We are trying to get ourselves on a schedule with these stories, (VoR and Obsessed). We are planning on posting every other week. So here's your taste for today.

As always, we love reviews. Thanks.

Victims of Rage

Chapter 2

EPOV

I have the most amazing wife. She is so beautiful, sexy, and perfect. We were enjoying the afterglow of our love, lying on my office couch in the late afternoon sun. One of the perks of being your own boss, you can take a few hours for a bit of an _afternoon delight._ And my wife was never one to deny. When she came into my office this afternoon with that smile on her gorgeous face, I knew I was in for a treat. I immediately asked my assistant to clear my schedule and hold all calls.

It was during these quiet moments with Alice that I regretted the distance between myself and the other members of my family. It was just so much easier to relate to Alice. She understood me like no other. She taught me that although caring for other people can make you vulnerable, the benefits of the relationship far outweigh the risks. She made it easy to show affection. If only I could convince certain others that I cared for them too.

I missed my baby sister. I doubted she even knew that. Or that I thought of her constantly, worried about her, obsessed over protecting her. I could clearly remember pushing her on the swings at the park for hours, though again, I am sure she didn't. I just didn't know how to relax with Bella anymore. Once it became clear that Dad wanted me to take over "the business," I lost the ability to relate to her. Actually, if I was truthful about it, I lost the ability to relate to just about anyone. The lesson Dad drilled into me was to never show your emotions. To rule in this line of work, you needed to be heartless. Emotions got in the way, made you make rash decisions, took away your objectivity, and got you in trouble. Emotions make you weak. So I slowly shut all mine off. It didn't mean I stopped feeling, just that I stopped expressing.

I can see now that this wasn't the way to deal with my sensitive little sister. But by the point I understood, it was already too late. The only way I knew to show her how much I cared was to protect her. But in my attempt to keep her safe, I overdid it. Bella felt stifled by me. Perhaps I should have let her date. Perhaps I shouldn't have limited her friendships so much. Maybe she didn't need a personal driver who carried a gun to take her to and from class in high school. But I have never been a person to do things halfway, so of course I went overboard.

At least Bella was close with James. I know he let her do things I never would, but she needed that. She grew, got some life experience, without being at risk. I know he kept a close eye on everything. After all, I did too. Just because she didn't know, didn't mean there weren't people watching her. After all, not everyone in the business is obvious. Bella didn't know that her neighbor and acquaintance was actually one of the dancers at Alice's club. I paid her a monthly bonus to keep tabs and make sure Bella made it home all right.

The back of the adult-only shop Alice owned had a thriving business serving those who wanted to simply see and not touch. We had private, soundproof booths with windows, which led to a stage where a dancer could perform. We called the customers "Jack-in-the-boxes." It was all above board and legal too. Rose had a natural talent for picking the dancers. Some of them even went on to Vegas or Atlantic City to be showgirls. Of course, if the girls had a client who wished to touch as well, that could be arranged, off premises and for a 10% finders fee. The girls kept everything else. It was by no means a requirement to dance, but an allowed option; one that many of the girls took full advantage of. After all, we had a safe house around the corner, guarded at all times and it was much more profitable than bussing tables at a restaurant. A gentleman (or lady, though those were rare) simply needed to ask for a "guided tour" of the historical house at the checkout of the shop.

Sammi, the neighbor/dancer had called me last night to let me know that Bella's truck never made it into the tenants' lot before she got home. I was a little surprised at that, since I had no reason to think she would stay out all night anywhere. But I had promised Bella, and Alice, that I would let her live her life without my interference. Maybe she went to her friend Angela after work. Perhaps she was watching movies and stayed over. I was trying to keep my thoughts positive and convince myself there was no reason to worry. Of course, not worrying was nearly an impossibility when it came to Bella. But for now I was letting it go. However, if she didn't report in for her normal phone call to Mom, that would change, quickly. She usually called just around 6 o'clock. But I was terribly on edge about it. I just had a feeling.

It was with these thoughts coursing through my brain that my wife slowly sat up and started to put her clothes back on. Always a shame, that. If I had my way, Alice would spend all day with me, naked, maybe she could wear some high heels though. She had amazingly long legs for such a petite woman, and they were beyond description in a pair of her beloved stilettos from Jimmy Choo. Preferably in this fantasy, we would be on a deserted tropical island, where no one else would see her. Of course, she would never go along with that. She liked people, and designer clothes, far too much for that. Also, there was no way I could get away from everything for very long. And as much as I loved my wife, or perhaps because of that, I could never force her to deal with only me, without the respite and entertainment she derived from her shop and her friends.

Suddenly Alice turned my way.

"Have you talked to Bella?" she asked.

"No, but I did get a call from Sammi. She said Bella didn't come home last night. Why?" I responded.

"I'm not sure… I just have a funny feeling. I think you should call her."

"Alice, I don't think that's the best idea. I'm trying, really hard, to let her live her life. You know she won't welcome me butting in and trying to dictate to her."

I sighed, knowing that my relationship with my sister was probably broken beyond repair, though I was still hoping we could get around our differences. I knew Bella didn't approve of the business, or my leading it, but I didn't need her to. I was perfectly happy to have her as far removed from any of my business associates as possible, for her own safety. I just wish her disapproval of the way we made our money wasn't tied so much to her affection for me personally. Alice of course knew all of this and had been trying to bring Bella and I together for some time, convincing me to give her space and trying to tell Bella how much I cared about her and the community; how much charity work we did, and how we helped our neighborhood.

"I understand what you're saying, sweetheart, but I really think you need to check in on her. _You_ need to contact her, now, to make sure she's all right. Please, just call her. Set my mind at ease? I'm worried." Alice was pleading with me, and I can never refuse my wife when she asks for something. And if Alice was worried, I was willing to bet my fortune and life on something being wrong. I trusted Alice more than anyone in the world and her "feelings" had never steered us in the wrong direction.

I gave in and rang Bella's cell, but it went directly to voicemail. After that I tried her landline and left a message at her apartment. Even then, Alice was not satisfied, and apparently wouldn't be until I spoke to Bella directly and heard her voice. Finally, I called the pharmacy where she worked.

"Swanson's Pharmacy, your local one-stop shop with the personal touch. This is Angela speaking, how can I help you?"

"Hello Angela, this is Edward, Bella's brother. May I speak with her please? Is she there?"

"Oh… Gee, Edward, we were hoping you could tell us where she is. Her truck is still in the lot where she was parked last night when we closed together, but she's not in today. She was supposed to be here at noon today, but she never showed. It's not like her to not call anyone to cover for her, but no one has heard from her. We've called her house and cell, but no answer. We were thinking of calling your mother, but we know she lives a couple of hours from here and didn't think it would do much good. I'm sorry, none of us knew how to get a hold of you, and we've been pretty busy in the store today, and short handed to boot!" Angela sounded nervous, worried, and a little exasperated. I looked at my watch. It was now 4 in the afternoon. That means she had been missing for at least 4 hours now.

"You say her truck is there in the lot, Angela? So she didn't do anything with you last night? Do you know if she had other plans with someone else last night? A girls' movie night, a date, grocery shopping even?" I was hoping against hope that there was some information to be had here that would help put my mind at ease.

Angela stammered out her answer. I knew I was nearly yelling, probably scaring the girl, but I couldn't help it.

"N-no. She was tired when we closed up together last night. She said she was going to go home and call your parents, take a bath, and go to bed. I don't know what could have happened to her. Normally I make sure she at least gets into her truck and out of the lot before I drive away, but my boyfriend was picking me up for a date last night and parked around the corner. Oh god, what do you think has happened to her?"

_Shit!_ If she wasn't with Angela last night, and her truck never left the lot, what the hell happened to her?

"I don't know, Angela, but I can promise you this: I _will_ find out. You can count on that!" With that, I hung up the phone.

I relayed the information to Alice as I put my shirt on. As soon as I was dressed, I called my assistant in and had her cancel all my appointments for the next day. I called Emmet and told him to get over here with Rose as soon as possible. It was time for strategy.

My mind was racing with possibilities. Was someone trying to get to me through Bella? Somehow that idea didn't seem to fit. There hadn't been any problems with anything lately and I didn't think most people even knew Bella existed and was associated with the family. I know my parents had been disappointed when she decided to change her name to our grandmother's maiden name, Conti, but I thought it was a great idea to distance herself from me. It was much easier to keep her safe when none of our enemies knew about her.

At this point though, none of that mattered. All that mattered was finding my baby sister. I swear, no allegiance would go untapped and no one in this city would sleep until Bella was back home where she belonged. And then, I was never letting her out of my sight again.


	3. Chapter 3

We own nothing, just the plot.

Victims of Rage

Chapter 3

James POV

We were all sitting in Edward's penthouse office. All the large black leather couches were full of Masens and Cullens. We were just waiting for the last two people to arrive before we got this meeting under way. Emmett was sitting with his arm around Rosalie, who was gripping Alice's hand in both of hers. Mother was quietly crying in the corner of the couch perpendicular to Rose and Alice, while Alice was trying to comfort her, and passing her tissues. My lovely wife Victoria was there, having picked up my mother on her way from the hospital. She had checked out of her shift early, citing the family emergency and gone straight to the my parents' house, giving Renee an injection to calm her nerves on the way here. Apparently, my mother was having a panic attack when Vic arrived and the household staff was terrified with no idea how to help her. Victoria arrived just before she lost consciousness, gave her some klonopin, and got the butler to carry her to the car. By the time they reached the downtown office, my mother was more or less under control. Some days there are not enough words to express how thankful I am for my wife and her medical training.

Just as I was getting up to resume my pacing from earlier, the door opened and Edward's assistant announced the arrival of the older married Cullens. None of my immediate family much cared for Emmet's parents, Carlisle and Esme, but we _had_ married Rosalie off to their son to foster a partnership between the families and consolidate power against the rival factions in _the business_. For all their lack of class and decorum, they were still powerful and a good ally to have on our side.

Carlisle and Esme sat on the third couch in the room. The stench coming off the two of them was disgusting. Esme reeked of Eau de Stripper-Whore perfume, while "Big Daddy C," as Esme called him, was a cross between a Philly cheese steak sandwich and a bath of Preferred Stock cologne from the 80's. There were times I truly felt bad for Emmett and Rose, having to deal with these two. Emmett had learned a lot from Rose and really had come a long way, exuding a quiet confidence and power. He even managed not to seem like a mockery of a stereotype, which is more than I can say for his parents. They usually reminded me of Al and Peggy Bundy, and today was no exception. Esme was wearing stilettos in bright read sequins with a pair of gold lamé hot pants that looked as if she had been poured into them. She topped this with a sequined red halter-top two sizes too small, barely containing her huge fake tits and not at all containing her slightly rounded paunch belly. She paired this with what looked like every piece of cheap gold jewelry I had ever seen on a stripper, all at once. This was all topped off by the giant caramel colored bouffant of her hair. She absolutely would have won "best beehive" at the Hon-Fest in Baltimore I had once seen on my travels to the eastern seaboard. Paired with her clown style make up in bright red lipstick and baby blue eye shadow, it was a sight to behold.

Next to Esme, her husband was the epitome of greasy mobster stereotype. Expensive shoes, dress slacks, with a button down shirt that was only half buttoned, exposing a smattering of chest hair and several gold chains. That led up to oversize aviator glasses and slicked back, greasy looking hair. I'm sure either Carlisle or Esme could be quite attractive with proper coaching, but usually they just turned my stomach. Esme was exactly what she appeared to be, a call girl who got lucky and spat out a couple of mobster kids. And Carlisle was the type of idiot who married a hooker.

Just then their second child walked in. Jesus, Tanya was gorgeous, but dumber than a box of rocks. She was headed straight into the footsteps of her mother, except for one crucial detail. Tanya liked girls. All of us knew it, though her parents refused to believe or acknowledge it. It was a constant joke at family dinners. Especially since her favorite crush was her sister-in-law. Bless Rose's heart for putting up with the constant requests for "sister time" with Tanya. Rose was actually trying to turn her into a real person, instead of the punch line of a joke like her parents were content being. Even now, Tanya was strutting her scantily clad self over to stand behind Rose try to play with her hair. I had no idea why she was here personally. This was important business and I think you should have been smarter than Forrest Gump to warrant a space in the room. I know I'm not the only one to think so, as I caught the looks passing between Edward, Alice, Rose, and Victoria, but ah well, she's here and she's not going to leave.

Edward called the impromptu meeting together. "I'm sure most everyone knows why we're here today. After all, the only family member missing is just that, missing. No one has seen or heard from Bella since her shift at the pharmacy ended last night at 7. Her co-worker Angela walked out with her, but didn't make sure that she got into her truck. Her truck is still in the same place she was parked in last night but she never showed for her shift at noon today. It's after 6 pm now, which means that she's been missing for nearly 24 hours now. What we need to decide is whether we want to involve the police or handle this on our own and also brainstorm to see if anyone has any ideas as to where she may be."

I had to pipe up at that. "Sorry, Edward, I have to interrupt. Mom called me just before you did. She got a call from Bella this afternoon."

I swear I have never seen Edward look so relieved as he let out the breath he had been holding.

"That's great news, James. Mom, Can you please tell us what she said? Please tell me this is just a mistake and that she's off with a friend somewhere?" Edward looked so hopeful; I could tell he really just wanted to believe that Bella was safe somewhere and just being irresponsible, like most girls her age.

It was at this time that my mother burst into loud wails and sobs, completely losing control. I could tell that once she had relayed the information in Bella's phone call to me, Renee had completely shut down. This sort of thing had always been her worst fear, and for it to happen to the one child who was in way involved in any illegal or illicit activities was simply a nightmare. I knew I would have to take over telling about Bella's call. Obviously my mother couldn't and Victoria was trying to calm her down without giving her any more drugs.

"Sorry again, Edward. It's probably worse than you feared. Bella's been kidnapped. She was taken outside work last night on her way to her truck. She's been drugged and taken to some house, she thinks. But she has no idea where. She said all she can see out the windows are trees, no other buildings anywhere."

Edward had paled at my words, but his expression quickly steeled into a mask of indifference. I knew him better than that though. I knew exactly how much he cared about Bella, and how afraid he was right now. But he was the head of the family and had to remain calm and in control so he could decide what the next step was.

"Ok, so do we have any clue who could be behind this? I've been thinking about anyone I may have pissed off recently who could use this to retaliate, but I'm coming up blank. For once, things are peaceful. We've eliminated most of the competition, and formed agreements with everyone else. Everyone around is profiting and peaceful lately. Anyone else have any suggestions? Carlisle, anything happening on your end?"

"No man, we've been quiet. You ought to know, you've taken over most of the industry on our side. Maybe she's just playing a prank. I bet Bella's just trying to get money out of us all. Stupid chick just wants a new car or something and got someone to help her in a scheme for ransom money. You should have just given her a bigger allowance." Carlisle was obviously not concerned, and pulled a fat cigar out of his jacket and started to light up. His bimbo wife was nodding along and making small sounds of agreement, all the while eyeing Edward like a steak she'd like to take a healthy bite out of. Esme looked over at her daughter, who was putting small braids in Rosalie's long blond tresses and not paying attention. Esme called for Tanya's attention then.

"Tanya, didn't your friend Kate pull a stunt like that when her daddy wouldn't but her that Porche she wanted for her birthday? Eddie, darling, I'm sure you'll find her at the nearest spa, just having a holiday and waiting for her welcome home present." Tanya looked apprehensive at this, and Carlisle just nodded and harrumphed, while puffing on his stogie.

It was at this point that Edward lost his temper. "You have got to be kidding me! Have you never even met Bella? Scratch that, I know you have, she was a bridesmaid when your son married Rose. She sat next to you at the rehearsal dinner and you tried to hit on her in front of your wife! Bella is _not_ that kind of girl! She is sweet, and honest, and pure, and would _never_ pull a stunt like that. She won't even touch the money I put in account for her every month, choosing instead to live off her measly wages working as a pharmacy technician and driving a beat up old truck! And do you know why? Huh, any ideas there, _Don Carlisle_?" Edward was rapidly losing any semblance of control, yelling loudly as he stalked over to where Carlisle sat shaking. Edward never lost control, but when he did it was terrifying. "She lives that way, because she has too much honor to take money she hasn't worked for and she abhors the way people are hurt in this business we all profit from! She won't accept anything from me, so don't tell me she's pulling a prank like one of your stupid whores!"

I caught Alice's eye as she got up and walked to her husband to calm him down. They walked into his private bath for a quiet moment while I stood up and started to take control.

"Ok, let's everyone take a minute and calm down here. Carlisle, I think it's safe to say that this is a real threat, and not a prank." I spoke smoothly and quietly, the same way I did to juries to convince them of a lack of concrete evidence against a client. "What we need to decide is whether we should go to the police or handle this ourselves. If we go public, and use the cops, should we offer a reward for her return? Also, does anyone have any good trackers we could trust with this important a job? I think above all, we need to concentrate on simply getting her home safe. How about everyone takes a minute to calm down and think, while I get Lauren to bring in some refreshments." With that, I walked out the door calling for Edward's PA as I went. I had her go down the block to the deli there and get some sandwiches for everyone and some drinks. She had a copy of the company credit card, so she should be all set. By the time she had returned, Edward had calmed down and apologized to Carlisle, citing the stress and worry about Bella as reason for his outburst.

Carlisle wisely kept his mouth shut for the remainder of the meeting. Together we decided that the best course of action would be to call a couple of Seattle's Finest to take a report. Of course those particular officers also happened to be on our payroll as well. They were good men, but cops don't make a lot of money, and these two had a weakness for poker, without being very good at it. We had a mutually beneficial arrangement for smoothing out their gaming debts.

With an official report filed, we called the local papers. We got front-page mention on the Seattle Times, the Post Intelligencer, and even in the alternative weekly paper, The Stranger. It helps when your sister in law is on such good terms with their nationally syndicated sex advice columnist, who is the editorial director. Running a sex shop catering to "alternative tastes" will do that. There shouldn't be anyone left in Seattle who hadn't seen a picture of Bella and knew she was missing. It was decided that we would hold off on offering a reward for a little while, hoping the kidnapper would come to us first.

I knew it wasn't wise, but I was withholding the one piece of information I had. After all, it was just one name, and we couldn't be sure if it was a first or last name, but something set me on edge. I really wanted the chance to look into this "Jasper" on my own. I certainly wasn't ignoring it, but I wanted it kept quiet for just a little while. I also knew my mother was too hysterical to relay that piece of information right now anyway. She would likely be sedated for a few days.

Emmett was contacting his information guy, Jenks. He was useful and reliable in most cases, even if his services were available to most people for a price. Fear is a very powerful motivator in his loyalty to my family. I asked Emmett to have Jenks' contact me the next day at my office to check some details. I knew he would be calling first thing. Emmett was terribly anxious in the meantime. He loved Bella as much as any of us and was terribly protective of her. They often played pranks on the rest of us, before she moved away to get some distance from all of us and changed her name. They still talked on a fairly regular basis though. He was pacing the room searching for an outlet for his frustration.

Everyone was antsy. Eventually, Carlisle and Esme headed out to go do whatever disgusting things they did together. Tanya elected to stay with her brother though, surprisingly not seeming to just want to be close to Rose. I think she was actually concerned for Bella. I knew Tanya liked Bella, not in any sexual way, just as a sister. Bella had always been kind to Tanya, even though she was just a little stupid, and spoiled. Bella never looked down on anyone and it didn't bother her that Tanya danced at the club for fun. I did notice Tanya looking at me several times, seemingly trying to catch my eye. Eventually I nodded toward the corner, and she followed me over there.

"Tanya, is there something bothering you? Something you know, that you aren't willing to tell everyone else?" I used my gentlest tone with her. She seemed afraid that I was going to explode on her like Edward had on her father.

"Well, a couple of weeks ago I was dancing at one of Daddy's clubs and I got a request for a lap dance. So I took this tall blond guy back to one of the private rooms to dance for him. He was really cute, had really pretty eyes. I asked him if he had a girl friend and he said not yet. He had his eye on a sweet little girl at the pharmacy. Said he just had to wait for the right time, and then they would be happy together forever. He got really …umm… excited during my dance and he called out 'Bella!' when he came. It was really creepy. There was just something in his eyes that was a little crazy. I didn't think anything much about it until now! I'm SOOO sorry! If I had known, I would have told someone. Please don't be mad at me! I didn't know!" Tanya was in tears by the time she finished her story and I tried to contain my shock. I knew it wasn't her fault, but maybe she had seen the man who took my sister!

"Tanya, this is really important. I'm going to get an artist to come talk to you and see if we can get a picture of this guy. Anything more than what we have would be extremely helpful. Do you think you could do that for me?"

She nodded and smiled tearfully up at me. For all that she was dumb and spoiled, she still cared about people, especially her family.

"Do you really think it might help?"

"I'm almost certain of it, Tanya. Do you have any other info about this guy? Did he give you his name or where he was from?"

"Well, he said he had kind of lived all over and was a bit of an Army brat before he joined the Marines. He told me I could call him Jasper."

My blood ran cold as she gave me this new information. It couldn't be. But it was time to make a few phone calls…

Reviews make us smile like Esme with a box of bon-bons...


	4. Chapter 4

As always, we own nothing but the plot... and a new desk chair that's waaaayyyy more comfy than my old one. Yay Craigslist!

Victims of Rage

Chapter 4

EPOV

Three weeks! Three mother fucking, cock sucking weeks! Twenty-one days since anyone has seen Bella. Twenty days since anyone has heard her on the goddamn phone! Fuck! I am going to go insane! I can't figure out the angle on this one. No ransom note, no rival group taking credit, seemingly no reason at all why she was taken. And we _know_ she was taken, contrary to whatever that idiot Carlisle thinks. His opinion doesn't matter anyway; I control all his men. He's nothing but a washed up joke of himself. He doesn't even realize that he doesn't make decisions anymore, or that I run everything. To make that jump, he might have to stop snorting shit off his wife's tits, or those of whatever cheap whore is closest. FUCK! WHERE IS MY SISTER?

Ok, _deep breaths, calm down_. I need to regain my cool here and think about things rationally. I need to be able to think straight. James and Emmett are coming over for a strategy meeting. I'm praying that someone has some information for me! I honestly can't take much more worry about Bella. We _have_ to get her back. And then we have to hunt down whoever took her so that I can kill them with my own bare hands. I might even let Alice at them. She's tiny and adorable, but she seemed to have a gift for knowing what would break a man quickest. Perhaps I'll have them drawn and quartered and placed around the city as a message. It'd be worth it, even if I did get caught. No one would ever mess with my family again. I know the message is already out on the streets that everyone associated with this was going to die. Right now, the entire underground element of Seattle was either on the lookout for any trace of Bella, or had gotten the fuck out of town. Even some of our boys in blue (on our payroll, of course) were going for blood on this. Bella just had that gift, she inspired the fiercest protective instincts in everyone she met. And with her not being at all in the business, even my associates from other cities were surprised at her abduction and were offering assistance. I had accepted offers from several families for their aid in tracking Bella and her abductor. But we were still coming up blank.

There had been a tip hotline set up through the SPD, with the promise of a generous reward for anyone who either returned Bella to us, or who gave us information that lead us to her return. It was manned 24 hours a day, and ringing off the hook for the first week, but not a single hard tip out of it. Mostly just crackpots who insisted she was their checkout girl at the grocery store, or that their neighbor was having an affair with her. Not a single good lead, though we checked them all out. This late in the game, the calls were starting to wane, as if people were forgetting about Bella. I had been pulling every string I could think of, including a press conference in which I spoke personally, just to keep the media's attention on my sister's kidnapping.

I had thought we had a lead at one point. My mother Renee had finally sobered up from the Xanax long enough to blurt out the one name Bella had given her. But as unique as the name is, we really couldn't find anything. One of Emmett's information men found a house, previously rented to one Jasper Hale, which had been recently vacated. I felt in my guts that this was where Bella had been taken, but I had nothing to prove my theory. It was in the middle of the woods, close to the city limits, and there were no neighbors. The landlord was the one who told us about Jasper Hale. Tall, handsome, blond hair a couple of inches long and slightly curly, icy blue eyes, wore dog tags around his neck. He had been renting on a month-to-month basis, paying in cash or by money order each month. She hadn't even known he was planning to move. She had stopped in one day to collect the rent when she hadn't received it on time. She had found no trace left of him, just the lock on one of the kitchen cabinets containing any sharp implements, and a house full of windows nailed shut. The whole house had even been wiped for prints and the keys left on the kitchen counter.

The name she had been given was obviously false, though. The social security number came back linked to a Hector Gomez. His last tax return was filed in Colorado. Apparently, the kindly older woman who rented the house out never actually ran the credit check to make sure this "Jasper" was whom he said he was.

After this disappointing turn of events, James came to speak with me. He wanted to bring in a friend of his, ex-Marine, Special Ops. This guy was one of the men sent to track Hussein after the invasion of Iraq, and that was as much as James could say. James insisted that he could be trusted, and even though I balked when I heard his name, James insisted that he had nothing to do with Bella's kidnapping. He had had the guy trailed for the past two weeks, and had pulled all his records of every credit purchase he had made for the past 3 months prior. Apparently, this man whom my brother simply called "Sarge" had only been discharged from his military service recently, after a tragedy involving his fiancée. After his return to the states, he had spent the next month in Texas, near Fort Worth, staying with his sister and visiting with his fiancée's family. It seemed like he was taking the time to grieve her loss before moving on with his life after the Corps. That was fine with me, it meant he was available to come help us. We sent the jet to pick him up and had a car waiting for him at the private airstrip to bring him to the Manor to meet James and everyone else. That was day number eighteen, when he arrived. Since then, he and James have been making phone calls, heading into all the seediest parts of the city, looking under every rock for any kind of clue. Unfortunately, even with the aid of being a fresh face to the area, and not one associated with the family, Sarge was coming up blank. We were starting to lose hope. After all, we all knew how easy it was to erase another person from the face of the planet. We just all prayed it hadn't happened to my Bellarina.

FUCK! I need to get my mind off this shit! I wonder if Alice could come by this afternoon. Maybe she had a brilliant idea for getting me to calm down and think rationally. There had to be an answer somewhere. I could just _feel_ that there was something we had overlooked, someone who knew something. But there was no way Alice could come help me out. She, Rose, and Victoria were all taking turns staying with my mother, trying to keep her sane. I was afraid that without proper supervision, Renee might just slip into a Xanax coma she would never come back out of.

"Lauren, what's on my schedule for the rest of this afternoon?" I asked my assistant over the intercom.

"Nothing until 4 pm, Mr. Masen, then you have the board of directors meeting," her voice came back through.

"Good. I'm going downstairs to the gym. I'll be back after I've run off some of this energy," I informed her. I was already making my way to the large closet and private bath off my office. I had insisted when I took over the company that we have a gym installed downstairs. It rivaled any of the expensive health cubs here in the city. I found it helpful for clearing my mind, and I made sure the employees were able to use it as well. You know what they say about happy workers, productive workers, blah, blah, blah. It seemed to at least keep them quiet.

I had just rounded mile number seven when Lauren came down to find me. I was more than annoyed, as interruptions were not conducive to clearing my mind so I could think. She timidly approached my treadmill.

"Sir, there is a woman in your office to see you. "

"She doesn't have an appointment. Can't you pawn her off on a junior partner or something? I don't need to meet with her. What does she want?"

"Well, Sir, she says it's about your sister. She says she has information and she refuses to speak to anyone but you. She also won't give me her name, but she says she'll tell you. I have her in the waiting area nearest my desk and your guard Stephen is discreetly watching her to make sure she doesn't run."

I nearly fell off the treadmill at her words. Finally, a break! I held my reaction in though, continuing my run. "What are your impressions of her, Lauren?"

I had hired Lauren myself years ago. She was discreet, intelligent, loyal to a fault, and had an excellent read on people. I had learned over the years to trust her instincts when it came to certain things. There had been a few close calls over the years where her opinions had proven more than correct and consequently saved both my life and millions of dollars.

"I think she's genuine, Sir. She's incredibly nervous, but determined. I think she knows exactly who you are and what you do, but she's here anyway. She's aware that this could be a very bad decision on her part."

"Very well. Clear the private conference room. Call James and Emmett, and tell them to bring Sarge as well. Tell them to be here in less than a half hour. Have them wait in my office, and make sure she sees them enter. Do not offer her any refreshments, but watch her carefully. I will finish my run and take a quick shower before coming up. Oh, and inform the directors I'll not be making it to the meeting today. They don't really need me there anyway."

If Lauren was correct, this forced waiting and then seeing the others walk in would intimidate the girl. She would either spill her guts, or try to run. Since running was not an option for whomever this girl was, she was left with spilling her guts. I would spend the entire day with her if I needed to. I was counting on this information being accurate. It could be the break we needed to get Bella back home.

\/VoR\/VoR\/Vor\/VoR\/

I met my brothers in my office after I had showered and dressed back in my suit. I could see the woman in question over the video monitor to Lauren's waiting area. I had used the private entrance to get back to my office, preferring not to let this woman see me until it was game time. She had seen the other three though. I made sure they were all walked right in front of her as they were led in to wait for me. There's nothing like three large men with menacing expressions to put some people in a talkative mood.

"Well, boys, what do you think?" I turned and asked them.

A look passed between James and Sarge. They seemed to be communicating with out any words. I supposed it was something born of their shared military training, or the missions the had done together. I knew that they James had joined Sarge's command after he got out of basic training. At that time, he really had been just a sergeant, but at the time went by, they were both promoted in turn, though they continued to serve with each other, James always under Sarge's command. By the time they had left the Corps, James was a sergeant in his own right, and Sarge had been elevated to the rank of Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. I understood why James continued to simply call him Sarge, that title was a mouthful. And I think it was also a bit of a joke between the two of them, each calling the other Sarge in turn. Finally Sarge spoke up.

"Edward, neither James or I can totally place this girl, but she's definitely familiar. I know she's a bartender in a dive bar on the other side of town, but that's not why she seems so familiar to us. But I think we should talk to her and see what she has to say."

"Very well." I pushed the bottom for my intercom. "Lauren, please have Stephen show the young lady into the conference room. We will meet her there momentarily."

Lauren's response was immediate and affirmative. In order to give this mystery woman a chance to sweat a little more, I offered the others a drink to pass some time. I knew we were all a little on edge today. Hell, we had been more than a little on edge for 3 weeks. I didn't understand why, but even Sarge seemed personally involved in this. I knew we were paying him, handsomely, for his services. But I actually think he would have done this totally free of charge, and I didn't think it was just as a favor to James. I'm good at reading people, and there was something that screamed "personal" in the manner he was acting about all this. I found it odd, since I knew he had never met Bella, but I overlooked it since it worked to our advantage. Maybe he was just misplacing his sense of duty for not saving his fiancée and channeling that feeling into saving Bella.

After we had all finished our tumblers of bourbon, we calmly walked to the conference room. It was the only one on this floor, and there was a reason why. This room was totally soundproofed. Also, it was videotaped, with cameras in each corner that all fed into the recording equipment in my office. This room was almost never used, only for the most important meetings that I had. I also made sure that Lauren cleared the rest of the floor. If things got difficult, we didn't need extra people hanging around as witnesses.

In a line we entered the room single file. Walking around the conference table, James and Sarge stood behind chairs on the right half of the long table, Emmett took one to the left and I stood behind my chair in the center. Simultaneously, we all pulled out our chairs and sat, never taking our eyes off the petite woman in front of us. Her eyes were down when we walked in, but as we sat, she looked up and stared at James and Sarge. It seems she recognized them as well. I wondered where from. I cleared my throat, forcing her attention back to me, as her eyes met mine for a fraction of a second before dropping into her lap again.

"I'm told you have information for me. I was told you would speak to no one but me, but I'm sure you won't have a problem with my brothers joining us, Miss…" I trailed off waiting for her to give us her name.

She looked up at me then. "Vincent. My name is Jane Vincent."

"Well, Miss Vincent, perhaps you'd like to tell us why you're here today? I'm told you have information about our missing sister. Why come here, why not just go to the police or call the hotline?"

"I could have done that. It probably would have been safer for me to do so, don't think I'm unaware of that. But I have come to trade you. I don't need the very generous amounts of money you're offering. But there is something I would like you to grant me," Jane said. She was meeting my eyes, and seemed to be telling the truth.

"What is it you could possibly need from me?"

"Just a little of your time, enough to tell my story, and then your mercy. I'm fully aware that I have placed myself in extreme danger by coming here, but you have to know that there is a reason I did. And I want to help you get Bella back."

"Very well, tell your story. But you should be forewarned. If I think you are lying to me at any point, you will regret it. I'll leave it at that."

At that point her eyes flicked over to focus on James and Sarge. "I believe you two already know my brother. I have a picture of the three of you together, all in fatigues in the desert."

Just then James banged his fist on the table. "That's it!" he exclaimed. "I knew you looked too familiar! Corporal Vincent had a picture of you in his bunk!"

Jane merely nodded and lowered her eyes. She looked ashamed. I chanced a glance at Sarge. The fury coming off him was palpable and he was glaring at her with the most intense hatred I'd ever seen. Three words bubbled out of his chest in a menacing growl.

"Where. Is. He?"

Jane looked up then and quickly dropped her gaze back to her clasped hands. She was shaking her head, and trembling in fear. Emmett took that moment to kick my chair gently. He was right, I needed to get this under control again.

"Jane, start at the beginning, please. Tell me about your brother and what he has to do with Bella."

Jane launched into her tale. "As I'm sure you've figured out, my brother served in the Corps with these two. He was doing okay then. It was in the last couple of months of his enlistment that I started to notice the change in him, from his letters. I knew that he had been shot while he was overseas and had been sent back to Fort Worth to convalesce and finish his tour on desk duty. That was when he started spending time with _her_. He started talking about this woman, how he had met the love of his life. He told me her name was Maria and that they wanted to get married, he just had to help her escape from her current fiancé. He said that they had been introduced and it was love at first sight. He wanted to come visit as soon as he finished his contract, and bring her to meet me. I was all for it, until I realized that she was still involved with someone else. I tried to get him to leave her alone until she left this other man. I had nothing against her, but I thought if she really loved my brother, she would leave her fiancé. But he wouldn't let her go.

"That was when I really started to notice things were going wrong with him. It was just little things, things no one else would notice, but I did. When I would call him on the phone, sometimes it sounded as if he was having conversations with other people, but I never heard another voice in the background. Then, shortly after his discharge, he called me in the middle of the night. He was frantic. He said that he needed my help right away and asked me to come down to Texas to help him. He wasn't making much sense, in hysterics the whole time. He was muttering phrases like 'meant to be' and 'if I can't, he can't either.' When I got to Texas, I met him at the address he gave me over the phone. I was totally unprepared for what I saw."

She turned to Sarge at this point, looking him in the eyes. "It was your apartment, the one you stayed in together. I could tell he didn't live there from the pictures on the walls." Sarge's hands clenched into fists on the table at this, his knuckles turning white from the strain of his grip. "I think you know what I found there, but I'll say it out loud for the rest of you," she stated, looking away from Sarge to the rest of us.

"My brother had strangled this woman, this love of his life, in an argument. He was trying to get her to run away with him and she refused. I figured out from reading her journal what had been happening before that night. You introduced them, right, sir?" She looked back to Sarge as she asked. Once he had responded with a tight nod, she looked back to the rest of us. "When Maria heard that such a good friend of her fiancé was hurt, and in a part of the country away from his family, she started visiting him, to help keep his spirits up. But he read more into her actions than there was. He was started to talk about them being soul mates and trying to convince her to run away with him. She stopped going to see him, but he was totally fixated on this idea that they should be together. The night he called me, he had broken into the apartment and packed her bags for her. When she came home from work, he was in her house trying to take her away. They got into a fight, and he ended up strangling her. That was why he needed my help. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to go bury her in a field somewhere, but I thought she deserved better. So I helped him clean the house of all his prints and any evidence he had been there, and got him on a plane. I made an anonymous call from the airport just before we boarded a plane to come back north. I wanted her to at least have a funeral and give her family a chance to say goodbye. It was the least I could do."

Jane paused and took a deep breath. She looked up at Sarge, nothing but apology in her eyes.

"I brought him up here. He seemed stable, and fine, though he was sad. He decided to take up an alias and moved into the house in the woods. I thought it was a good sign that he was moving on. I stopped talking to him after that though. I couldn't take it anymore.

"It was another 2 months before I heard you had come back to the states, SgtMajMC. I called him to warn him, because I knew you were going to figure it out, and I was sure you would want revenge. I don't blame you for that, I would too. That was three weeks ago. I was too late, though. You all have to know, I would have tried anything to stop him from doing this. But I was already too late! So now I'm here to trade you, her life for mine, and his. He needs treatment. He's sick in the head. He has Bella, because he loves her. It's like Maria all over again, and I have to stop it this time!"

There were tears streaming down her face as she spoke, but all I could focus on was that her brother had Bella. Bella was with a man who had already killed one woman he "loved," so what was to stop him from doing it again? I was boiling with rage, but I tried to keep it in and think rationally. I looked at the men on either side of me. I wasn't the only one having trouble staying in control of my emotions.

"Alright, Jane, you've been very forthcoming with your story. Now what I want are the details. I want to know where they are, what condition Bella is in, and any other pertinent information you can think of. And don't think of holding anything back, or lying. I'll know, and you won't like the results." I was firm and steady in my voice, but I had no doubt my eyes were blazing. I was hanging by a thread at this point.

"He has her in a cabin in the Mt. Hood National Forest, just over the Oregon border. It's an old cabin my father used to keep for hunting trips. I'll give you GPS coordinates. I've been driving once a week to bring him groceries and the like. I've been trying to convince him to let her go, but it's not working. Bella's unharmed at this point, but afraid, naturally. I think her defiance is starting to wear on him. He's convinced that she loves him and is just playing hard to get. I'm afraid he's not going to hold out much longer. I really don't want her to get hurt. She didn't ask for this, and she seems like a really nice girl."

She turned to look me in the eye then. "I'll help you in any way I can. I'll even testify at a trial against him, for both the kidnapping of Bella, and Maria's murder. But please, don't kill him. He really needs mental help. Our family has a history of schizophrenia, and I'm afraid that's the cause of his behavior. It's not an excuse, but _please!_ I'm begging you to consider sparing his life."

"I'll consider it, if we get her back unharmed. I have one more question for you. How did he get this fixation on Bella?"

"From what he's told me, he saw her at Swanson's one day. She helped him find something, and that was it for him. He started fantasizing, and worked out a plan to get her. He paid someone to get information about her and went from that. Obviously, this person left out the very vital information of who her family _is_, and I'm not sure why. Though I'm not sure that would have made all that much difference to him in the end." Her chin raised a fraction of an inch as she talked about this other person. She wasn't looking at any of us, just out the window. She was hiding something there. It was written all over her face. I stood up and leaned over the table towards her. My weight rested on my hands on the table as I towered over her, my eyes boring into hers.

"Who did he pay to follow her? I know you're hiding something. Tell me the rest of the story or you'll never leave this building alive."

Jane actually trembled at my words. She looked down, took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and looked back up at me.

"It was Jay Jenks. He didn't tell him everything out of respect for you. He didn't want to repeat any rumors or upset you in any way. He had no idea what my brother would do with the information."

This little snippet shocked me but I kept my face blank. We had been doing business with Jenks for years. He should have known better than to even take that job on. He knew who Bella was. Even beyond that, we had sent people to speak to him several times since she was taken and he never revealed a thing. That man was too greedy for his own good. I think I would deal with this one personally. It had been a while since I took care of a punishment myself. I would enjoy making an example of the man who helped my sister be taken.

I took a breath and thought about everything. "Jane, I would like to say thank you for coming to us and being so truthful. Why it took you three weeks, I'm not sure, but I'll consider that later. I will carefully consider your requests once we have Bella back with us, safe. However, you should know that if your brother has harmed her, even one fucking hair on her head, I can't be held responsible for my actions. In the meantime, you will write down the coordinates for that cabin, and then Stephen will escort you to a room downstairs in one of the sublevels of this building. You will remain there for the time being." I slid a piece of paper and pen to her over the table.

She slowly nodded wrote a series of number on the page. She then raised her red-rimmed eyes to mine. "Thank you, Mr. Masen. I couldn't have asked you to be more generous than this, I suppose. I really am sorry for all this mess. And, sir?" She turned to Sarge at this point. "I'm so sorry for your loss. Maria loved you. I know that from her journal. I'm so sorry he took her away from you."

With that I rose and crossed to the door to signal Stephen to come and escort Jane away. He knew where to take her. She wasn't leaving here for a while.

After Jane was lead away, I turned to the other men in the room. We were all fairly vibrating with rage and nerves. But there was an excitement in the air as well. We had a shot now. We were going to get her back!

"Alright, let's get a fucking move on! Emmett, you will go and retrieve Mr. Jenks. Bring him to the bunker for interrogation. I will meet you there. James, I'm putting you in charge of getting Bella back. Take the coordinates, assemble a team, and go get our sister! I'll get the family up to date on what's happening, then meet Emmett for a little quality time with Jay. "

James looked to me, then Sarge, and back to me.

"Umm, Edward, I'm actually thinking that I'll follow Sarge's leave on this one. He has more experience than I do with rescue and extraction. Plus, I think he deserves to do this. He has unfinished business with Mr. Vincent."

I nodded. "Seems like a fine plan to me. And I'll tell you what, Sarge. You bring Bella back safe, I'll let you decide what happens to Mr. Vincent."

Sarge looked at me, then to James. He stood a bit straighter, and fire blazed in his blue eyes. He touched the skin of his right forearm, just below the elbow. James copied the movement. I knew right then I was no longer looking at my brother and his friend. I was looking at Sgt. James W. Masen, United States Marine Corps, and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Jasper M. Whitlock. I sincerely doubted that Corporal Alec Vincent would make it out of that forest alive, and if he did, he wouldn't stay breathing much longer.

**OK, so there's your treat for reading this side story! You get the secret before anyone else. Ha ha, don't you feel special? So leave us some love and tell us if you liked it. Or even f you didn't.  
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**Kudos go to Sapphire1031 who nailed it and green-gremlin who kinda figured it out! And to Natalie Lynn who got it a long time ago! BTW, don't just tell everyone else, make them come and read for themselves. Or they can wait for their answers. He he!**


	5. Chapter 5

As always, we own nothing but the plot.

Victims of Rage  
Chapter 5

EPOV

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous that James and Jasper would be the ones to bring Bella back home. But I was rational enough to know that they had the skills to bring her in easier than myself or anyone else I could send. Add to that the fact that they had trained this Alec, and Jasper had a personal vendetta against him, and I think I made the right choice. It was a hard thing to do, but I would hold to my word and give Jasper the right to decide Alec's fate. But Jenks would be mine. No matter that he hadn't actually taken Bella, he enabled it. And while I appreciated his attempts to keep the family business quiet, I would have shouted it from the rooftops to keep Bella safe. His attempt may earn him a small bit of mercy in that I wouldn't torture him... too much.

I had Stephen take Jane to the "special quarters" in this building. They were actually under the warehouse next door, but no one needed to know that. They could only be accessed using the passageway that originated in the basement of Masen Tower. She would remain in her room there until I had Bella back, and safe. Then I would consider her plea for mercy. She had waited a bit too long for my liking to come forward, but she had been the break we needed to get Bella home. I very much doubted we would have ever found Bella without her help. So while she is my guest here, and while I deliberate her fate, she will be safe and reasonably well treated. That means she'll actually get meals, a bed, and a bathroom while she's here. Don't give me that look. That's quite a step up from the treatment for most of our "guests."

After sending Emmett out to retrieve Jenks, I headed into my office. I poured a tumbler of my 30-year Macallan single malt and sat down at my desk, twirling the amber liquid and enjoying the warmth it spread through my body. For the first time in a month, I actually felt hope. We were so close to having her back. I could almost feel the relief of having her back in my arms. Though I doubted I'd get that close to her physically. Bella probably still hates me. Ever since I had mentioned setting her up on a few proper dates with appropriate suitors, she wants nothing to do with me. I don't think it was all the idea of my trying to choose her husband for her; that was just the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. She could try to overlook the work we all did, even if some of us were more open about it than others. She overlooked my sheltering her, and protecting her, even when she insisted she didn't need it. Though we all see now how that turned out. But when she thought I was trying to "sell her off to the highest bidder," something just disintegrated between us. A wall went up around her, and she no longer looked to me for anything, not even protection.

Renee insists that she still loves me, and Alice backs her up on this. Even Rose and James agree, but I have a hard time accepting that. I long for the days when our relationship was simple, when she was my Bellarina, when she smiled at me with all the joy in the world held in her eyes, just from my pushing her on the swings. But even if I can't have that relationship with her again, I'll settle for having her home, safe, and under my protection. I'll be happy just to have her in the same room with me, where I can see her smile, even if it's never directed at me again.

Brushing off my somber thoughts, I contemplated pulling out my cell. Was it time to start calling the family and let them know about the new developments? I knew they would all want to know as soon as possible. Or should I wait until I know they've found her? At the very least, I could call my wife. I started dialing. She picked up on the third ring.

"Ali, I have news."

"Edward, this had better be good. You know I don't like to leave your mother alone these days. And I can't pick up the phone while I'm still in the room with her, either. She can't handle anymore right now. Every little thing starts her sobbing," Alice was clearly less than pleased. We were all feeling the stress of Bella's absence, but no one but my mother had chosen to dive face first into a pill bottle to deal with it.

"Alice, we think we've found her. We've had a break and someone came forward with information. The two marines have just gone to pick her up."

I had already removed the phone from my ear, but I could still clearly hear my wife scream like the she-devil she could be at times.

"I knew it! I knew something good was happening when I got up today. Where is she? _How_ is she? Does she need a doctor? Whe-"

"Alice! I need you to calm down and breathe for a second! Listen!" I paused for a minute to make sure I had her attention. "Ok, so she's being held in a hunting cabin somewhere in the Mt Hood national forest. James and Jasper have gone to get her. It's going to take them at least a few hours to get to her, and I don't know how long it will take them to actually get in and get her out safely. We know who took her, too."

"Oh my God, Edward! That's the best news I've heard all year! So who is it? When do we get our hands on him? Can I help?"

And that, right there, is why I love my wife. Our parents may have put us together for their own purposes, but that didn't stop us from caring about each other. Her devious ways, her unswerving loyalty, her intuition, paired with her truly loving heart and tight little body, bound me to her like nothing I'd ever known. I was also not ashamed to admit, I'm more than just a little scared of what she would do to me if I ever left her. She is incredibly fierce about protecting what is hers. And surprisingly creative in her punishments. I once used one of her Hermes scarves to wipe my hands on, thinking it was one of my pocket squares. I ended up tied to a chair, blindfolded with said scarf, while she removed all my public hair with hot wax. Not that I don't keep my area trim and neat, but fuck! That shit hurt like a motherfucker. Let me tell you, there is a _reason_ men don't get Brazilians, ladies! The hair hides the tackle a bit, and that's a good thing! But I digress.

"Well, Ali, it turns out that our kidnapper is none other than Alec Vincent, former U.S. Marine Corps, in both James' and Jasper's unit. His sister right into my office today, to tell me her brother has Bella is in love with her. Apparently, this guy's completely whacked in the head and thinks she loves him too. He already did this whole _Fatal Attraction_ thing with Jasper's fiancée, Maria. That's how she died."

"Wow, Sarge never mentioned that. Does he know?"

"If he didn't before, he does now. The kidnapper's sister was the one who helped get him out of there and called the death in to the authorities so the girl could have a proper burial. It was an accident, supposedly, but he still strangled her. I have to tell you, Ali, it makes me even more nervous to know Bella's been with this psycho for 3 weeks. Who's to say what he's already done to her?"

"Well then, aren't you glad you have me to help you make him regret the day he ever set eyes on our Bella? I'll be there to help you make him pay for this."

Hmmm, this was not a conversation I wanted to have right now, but I really couldn't see a way around it.

"Yeah, about that, Alice? We're not touching him."

As expected, this was not news she wanted to hear. I was half expecting her hand to shoot through the phone to grab my chin and force me to look into her eyes to tell her. Her voice was as cold as steel in the tundra as the words crackled down the line to me.

"What do you mean, 'we're not touching him?' You need to clarify that one right now, because if you think I'm letting this nutcase terrorize my-"

I had to cut her off there. "I've given Alec to Jasper. Provided he brings Bella home safe, he can deal with Alec anyway he sees fit. And we will support him, whatever that decision is, with as much assistance as he needs," I told her all this in my 'I'm in charge and no one should be questioning my orders' voice.

She humph'd over the line at me, but I knew she'd follow my wishes on this. After all, he did have a right to make the choice, and I never go back on my word. Beyond that though, he had more reason to make Alec suffer than any of us, and he might follow through on it.

"You know he's only going to turn him in, don't you? He won't do anything for revenge, as much as he wants it."

"No, Alice, I don't know that, but even if he does, I've given my word, and I won't break it. Not to the Sarge. Even if he makes a choice I don't agree with, I respect him enough to allow that choice."

"Very well, Edward. In the meantime, are you going to make calls to the rest of the family? Let them know they're getting her?"

"What do you think, sweetheart? Should I call them now, or wait until they actually have her. Right now, I have no idea if they'll even find her. All I gave them was a set of GPS coordinates, a handheld locator, and a topographical map of the area. They grabbed their own gear and were on their way."

"I have to say, as much as I hate to admit it, we should sit on this, at least until they call to tell you they've found the cabin. Otherwise everyone is just going to be even more on edge, waiting for the call. But I think you should get the chopper ready and clear a flight plan to Portland. Something tells me this isn't going to go as smoothly as they plan it to. You should be ready, and close by. I just have a feeling about this. I'm sure it'll all be ok in the end, but be ready, just in case."

Again, this is why I love my wife. Not only does she reinforce my own feeling about calling everyone else, she gives me something to do in the meantime to keep me busy.

"Thanks, babe. I knew you would know what to do. I'll let you get back to my mom, then. Just remember, you won't have to do this much longer. She's almost home, " I sighed out my relief at that thought.

"I know, Bossman, just a little longer. You can stop worrying soon," she crooned to me, as if _not_ worrying about Bella was even an option. We hung up shortly thereafter, and I started making the necessary arrangements for the chopper. Forty-five minutes later, it was fully fueled and waiting on the rooftop helipad. Our flight plan to Portland had been filed and was just waiting for my go-ahead to take off. And of course, a place to land.

To pass the time, I buried myself in some files while I waited. I actually did do work here, legal work, from time to time. The fact of the matter was that for all the money that came in through less than reputable channels, my instincts for stock trading made us just as much money as the other income. Add in Alice's "hunches" and we were rolling in the green. Very profitable all around. And we give back to the neighborhoods significantly in the way of various charities.

I lost myself in the files, and the next thing I knew it was two and a half hours later and my phone was ringing. James!

"Tell me you have her!" I barked out as I opened the phone.

"We have her, but it's bad. We got there and she was ok, cold and locked out in a shed, but ok. But Alec attacked before we could get her out and she got caught in the crossfire. She's been shot, Edward." I knew James was trying to keep me calm and give me the info I needed, but it wasn't working.

"How bad?"

"The bullet went through a wooden door and landed in her gut. We're not quite sure where she was hit right now. The bullet is still in there. She's bleeding, but Sarge has it under control for the moment. He was trying to staunch the blood flow while I ran for the car. We've got her in the car, and he's holding her, keeping pressure on it. We're heading to Portland, and we're about forty-five minutes out right now. But she seems to be stable, though she's lost a lot of blood. We had a triage kit in the trunk, so we've done what we can. I need to know from you, where am I taking her?"

I had never been so happy for James' military training and ability to keep cool under pressure as I was at that moment. His strength was giving me a rope to hold on to. I did a quick search for the best trauma center in Portland. "James, take her to OHSU hospital. They should be able to take her. I'm on my way in the chopper; I'll probably land the same time you do. "

"OHSU, got it. Listen, Edward, make sure you grab the copies of Power of Attorney forms for her that I have in the safe at your office. Since neither of us is her legal guardian or husband, we'll need them to be able to authorize treatment for her. Otherwise, they can't do much of anything before she wakes up."

I wheeled around from my attempted flight out the door to run back to my desk. There, in the bottom drawer safe were the papers I needed. I went ahead and grabbed the set naming James as Bella's proxy. We all had a set or two, for just such occasions. In our family, it was always better to be safe than sorry. I also thought to grab the file of pertinent medical information for her, her blood type, the fact that she was allergic to penicillin, and overall medical history. I had a list of current medications she was taking as well. I knew from experience, this would be helpful.

"I got the papers, James. I've already got the helicopter fueled with a flight plan filed, on the roof. I'll be there soon. And James?" My voice cracked under the weight of my emotion and I paused, getting myself back under control, "you take care of her, until I get there."

His voice softened over the phone. "I will E, I promise. She'll be ok. I'll take care of her 'til you get here. She'll be ok."

I wasn't sure who he was trying to convince at that point, nor did I really care. I was flying up the stairs to the roof. I burst through the door to find my pilot leaning up against the body of the company copter smoking a cigarette. He took one look at my face and immediately threw his smoke to the ground and climbed in. He slapped on his helmet and handed me my headset as I climbed in the back.

"Portland Evan, OHSU hospital, as fast as you can get us there!" I barked at him as I pulled out my phone. Time to inform the family.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

By the time we were hitting the city limits of Portland, I had made all the necessary phone calls to the family, as well as called OHSU to let them know we were coming. They had a team waiting at the ER doors for James and Bella, while the Helipad was clear for me to land. I told Evan to go park the chopper at the heliport in town, and find a hotel. I was fairly certain this was going to take at least a few hours.

I was escorted off the helipad and made it down to the ER just as Jasper was bringing in Bella. He had put her on the gurney and there were so many people hovering around her with needles, breathing bags, and monitors, I couldn't even see her. I could however see Jasper. Jasper, who was covered in Bella's blood, watching her be wheeled away like his heart was breaking to let her go. I recognized that look, I'm sure it was the same as the one on my face. Just as I reached him, he turned his head and met my eye. I nodded in greeting.

"I'm sorry, man. I tried. I put her back in the shed, told her to hide, when I saw him coming. If she had just stayed where I put her, I'm so sorry!" His hands were in his hair, clenching it, and I was afraid he might actually rip out a few chunks. He had red streaks through his hair now, from the blood still covering his hands. It was then that James came through the doors.

"Goddamn fucking parking Nazis! You think I really care if I'm blocking the ambulance bay? Stupid assholes! My sister's in there with a fucking bullet in her gut, I don't care if you do tow my fuckin' car!" James was obviously not happy with the hospital staff right now. But now was my turn to keep these two calm. I led them over to a set of chairs and pulled all the files from my bag. I started with pulling out the PoA form for James to deal with. I knew from experience, he dealt better with stress when he had something to do. Just as I was looking up to go find someone, I noticed an intern coming over to get information from us. I waved her over with relief.

"Are you the gentlemen who brought in Ms. Conti?" the intern asked in a timid voice.

James, Jasper and I all looked at each other, looked around the nearly empty waiting room, and the pointedly looked at Jasper bloodstained clothing.

"Gee, you think?" James was clearly in no mood for the business of playing nice. I had better step in here.

"Yes, we are. Thank you, Doctor…" I let my voice trail off.

"Oh, so sorry, I'm Dr. Carmen. I'm on of the doctors assigned to Ms. Conti's case. I just need some information from you so we know the best way to proceed with her treatment." This foolish intern was all smiles, but they were wary. Yeah, go figure, gunshot wounds don't usually make people feel all nice and warm and fuzzy.

"Yeah, we're _Bella's_ family. I have a copy of her medical records with any immediately pertinent information on the first page of this folder. This is a signed Power of Attorney form, allowing her brother James here, to make any medical decisions for her in the event she is unable to. And this gentleman to our left helped save her from the madman who kidnapped and shot our little sister." I waved my hand to indicate James and Jasper in turn, while handing over the file with my other.

"Well, um, this is very… complete. Thank you. We should be able to get started quite well with this. You certainly come prepared!" The idiot junior doctor was flipping through the pages, shocked that we could have brought such detailed information with us.

"I assume that while you're operating on Bella, and getting the bleeding stopped, you'll need to contact the police? After all this is a GSW, that's standard protocol, I assume?" I tried to carry on as normal as conversation as I could, while watching Jasper get up and start pacing, and James' knee bouncing like a coke head fiending for his next hit.

Dr Carmen simply nodded with eyes very wide and swallowed audibly. "That is standard protocol, sir."

"Good. While you're at it, would you mind terribly calling Chief Clearwater, in Seattle about the missing persons case with Bella's name? Oh, and you will need to save the bullet when you find it. They'll need that for evidence, you see." I wouldn't have thought it possible, but the intern's eyes opened even wider, but I'll give it to her, that was the extent of her reaction.

"Of course, Mr. …?"

"Masen, Dr. Carmen. My name is Edward Masen." I usually enjoyed the look of fear and trepidation that often accompanied the recognition of my name, but today was different. Today I could have been Osama bin Laden, or a homeless bum on the street for all the difference a name made. Today, I was just a man, terrified for his family. And so Dr. Intern ran off to relay information and call cops, while we stayed in the waiting room to pace.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

It was another hour before the cops came, and the Portland PD was very willing to yield to the Seattle PD and just asked us the basics. In return we gave them a basic outline of events: we got a tip on Bella's location, came in to get her, got shot at by kidnapper while Bella got hit with crossfire, came to hospital while psycho got away. Kidnapper turned out to be old member of U.S.M.C. unit with both James and Jasper, who could positively ID him as Alec Vincent. We were sure Bella would corroborate when she was able, since it was the truth. Funny thing, telling the cops the truth. I've not done that in a while. The officer taking our statements promised to relay all this to Seattle. I actually believed him.

After another two and a half hours, another doctor came to speak with us. Which was good, since no one had had anything to say since James ok'd them to do surgery to find the bullet and stop the bleeding.

"Ok, gentlemen, I have news." I like this woman, no "hi my name is" bullshit, just info. Because that's what I care about right now.

"Tell us what's going on here, Doc, we're going crazy with the waiting!" James really is great under pressure, when there's a job to do. But he sucks at waiting!

"So, we got in there to look around. It's not as bad as we thought. The bullet pierced her spleen, but traveled no further than that. We were able to remove the organ and stop the bleeding. We did manage to save the bullet too, so ballistics can use it. Now, they're closing her up in the OR, then she'll be sent to recovery where _one of you_ may sit with her at a time. She's lost a lot of blood, and it was necessary to give her a transfusion, but your field triage definitely saved her life. You said you were in the Mt. Hood Forest when this happened?" She looked to Jasper, still covered in blood, and her nodded. "Very impressive, sir. I wish all my interns came with your level of training. You did an excellent job." She smiled again at Jasper, who merely shrugged.

"Learned in the field, ma'am."

"Well then, let me explain to you about aftercare then. I understand you have requested that once she's stable you'd like to transport her to Seattle?"

I spoke up to deal with this one. "Yes, Doctor. After the traumatic experiences of the past month, I think Bella's recovery would be greatly aided by being back near her friends and family, in more familiar surroundings."

"Normally, I would refuse to move a patient so soon after surgery. But in this case, I think you're right, and I'll make an exception. I will warn you, she is going to need to take it easy. Without her spleen, she'll be more prone to contacting viruses and the like. She'll need to be kept warm whenever she goes outside. And no overexertion! Make sure she doesn't overtax herself. She'll get tired much more easily for a while. I'd like her to go immediately to another hospital there."

I piped in again. "Yes, Doctor. We'll be taking her directly to Virginia Mason Medical Center. We have a good friend there who is chief of the surgery department. He's already promised to take over Bella's care and has a bed set aside."

"Well, in that case, I guess you just need someone who can monitor her vitals on the trip. Once she's woken up, we can get her loaded up and get you all on your way."

"Actually, Doctor, that the one thing we didn't think of. We have no one on our employ with us to monitor Bella. Also we would like to take her before she wakes up. Is there anything you can suggest to us?"

The doctor rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Are you willing to pay for a physician to take this trip? And how well set up is your helicopter? And how will this person get back here to Portland?"

God, this was going to cost me a fortune, not that I really cared, but still. "Well, I'd certainly be willing to send the helicopter back here with whomever I could get to attend to Bella's health on the trip. It could end up being over as quickly as three hours. Our chopper is certainly big enough; it can comfortably seat six passengers. I'm sure it could accommodate three of us, plus Bella and one doctor. There are extra seats with the pilot as well. And of course we're willing to pay that person to come. Just name a fair price. Do you have any suggestions?"

The still nameless surgeon just smiled. "I finished my shift officially a half hour ago. But I'd like to see this one safely home. She's been through a lot, but she's a fighter. I can tell."

The smile that swept across my face could have powered all of Seattle for at least a few hours. "That she is, Doctor, that she is. We'll all be so glad to have her home, at last. Thank you for doing this."

"I'm happy to. If you'd like, someone can go sit with her, while you call for your chopper. Just before we're ready to head out, I'll give her a little something to keep her out for the journey," the doc smiled at us, waiting for one of us to go with her back to sit at Bella's side. I sent James in for the first shift, while I called Evan to come back to the hospital to pick us as soon as he could get the flight plan approved. I also warned him that we would have a patient and doctor on the flight, with a stretcher, and to make any adjustments necessary to accommodate them. The whole time I was on the phone, Jasper's eyes never left the doors James had disappeared though. I didn't say anything, but sure as hell noticed it. I just wasn't sure what to do with it yet.

After I finished my phone call, I stood and patted Jasper on the shoulder as I headed through the doors myself, following the signs to recovery room 4. James was there, his held bowed over her hand, clasped between his much larger fists. I cleared my throat and looked away. In the way of the eternal guy code, I neither looked at, nor mentioned his tears. He slowly bent over, kissed her pale forehead, and cupped her cheek as her stood. He turned back to me and without meeting my eyes, walked out the doors, muttering about meeting me in the lobby when the helicopter arrived. I slowly walked over and took his previous position, holding her hand between mine, with them all pressed to my face. At that point, I just couldn't stop the tears from leaving my body.

"Oh, _Sorellina_! I'm so glad you're safe. I'm so sorry I didn't get to you sooner. We were trying, every day we were out looking for you. I know that doesn't change anything you've been through, but I hope you know how hard we were all trying to get you back home," I was choking the words out around the sobs wracking my body. It was hitting me exactly how close I had come to losing her forever, and I couldn't seem to stop or even slow down my reaction. And then there was a slight pressure on my hand, and a whisper.

"_Fratello?_"

"Bella? You're awake? Oh Baby Girl! Can you open your eyes for me? Oh God, am I glad to see you awake! I thought I'd never see you again!" I cried out in my relief at having her safe, next to me.

"You're crying, Edward. Did you get shot too?" she asked me. She looked concerned at the thought.

"No, _Sorellina_, I was not shot. I'm just a little… overwhelmed at the moment." I was chuckling at that. Lying in a hospital bed, having just woken up from surgery, still she puts others ahead of herself. "Do you remember what happened to you?"

"I was in the shed, and I was so cold. Then this man came to get me out. He was in the picture with James and Jasper. But then Jasper came back out, and they started arguing. But then the new man was calling Jasper Alec, and Jasper was calling the new man Jasper, and Jazz. Then the gun went off." She looked up at me with wide, confused eyes. "What happened, Edward? Who was that new man? Where am I?"

Just then James came in with the doctor, whose surname I now knew was Mickens. "Mr. Masen, your helicopter is here and we're all set to transport Isabella to Virginia Mason when you're ready. We'll take her up to the helipad now."

I smiled down at my precious little sister and nodded. "Time to go home, little one."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Our trip back to Seattle was uneventful. Jasper elected to take the seat by our pilot Evan, leaving the remaining space not taken by Bella's stretcher for Dr. Mickens and James and I. Dr Mickens had given her a shot to keep her under the whole trip, but at least James and I were able to hold her hands throughout the trip. I made a few calls to let everyone know where to meet us. Alice agreed to bring the rest of the family to the hospital. Emmett had apparently been very successful in tracking down Jenks. He was now ensconced in the basement sublevels of Masen Tower. He was not so far from Jane, but decidedly less comfortable. I informed Emmett that I would need someone to go on the return flight back to Portland to escort Dr. Mickens and retrieve James' car from the hospital. He agreed to get one of his men on it.

"And make sure they know, no scratches on the car and stay out of the trunk." I wasn't sure if there was anything in there other than their weapons and gear, but no need to take a chance.

"Of course, Edward. Not a problem."

After my phone calls were completed, I turned my attention back to Bella. She looked so fragile, lying there. There were bruises on her face and arms, which I could see. Her lip was also split and swollen. I could only hope that the visible bruising was the worst of it. I couldn't control myself if I thought he had violated her innocence.

That line of thought quickly diverted to Jenks, and how I was going to pay him back for his deception and aid in this kidnapping. I couldn't wait to get my hands on him. He would regret the day he had ever heard of Edward Masen.

I was greatly disturbed to hear that Alec had gotten away. I was nearly salivating at the thought of tearing _him_ apart. He should pay for the pain he's inflicted on Bella. There would be no place left on this earth that was safe for him. As soon as Bella was safe at the hospital, I would be making some very important calls. Every bounty hunter in the western hemisphere would be searching for Alec Vincent. I realized he would be hiding, using a fake name to avoid detection. But I knew he wouldn't stay hidden forever. It was just a matter of time before he was caught. Now I just have to find the perfect way to bait the hook.

**AN: So, what do you think should happen to Jenks? Give me some ideas and let's see if they're more twisted than my own.**

**On a totally different note, my partner of the past 9 years was diagnosed this week with having a mass on his kidney, that is the size of his kidney. He will be undergoing surgery to have the whole left kidney removed on Mon, Aug 16. **** We won't know until after the surgery whether the mass is cancerous. ****Please try to think some positive thoughts for us. Thank you.  
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	6. Chapter 6

AN: For those of you following, my partner's surgery was yesterday. It went well, and they think the cancer was fully contained in the kidney they removed. Now it's just a matter of waiting until his system starts working normally again. He should be able to have solid food for breakfast for the first time since Monday. Thanks to everyone who sent pm's, and well wishes in their reviews, as well as to everyone who just sent their positive thoughts and well wishes. I really appreciate it.

As always, everything belongs to SM, we only own the plot.

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Victims of Rage

Chapter 6

Alice POV

I think I may very well go insane. This month has absolutely SUCKED! Stupid psychos stealing family members, crazy-ass mother-in-law driving me to an early grave with her substance abuse, shifts at the hospital to occupy the ungrateful Bella, inventory issues and backorders at the shop, half the "dancers" out with the same unattractive rash in a most unfortunate location, all compiling with the normal day to day stress of trying to run a large half-illegal operation that spanned most of the west coast was going to put me in the nuthouse. My poor husband was so stressed out, I think he may have a heart attack soon. That would just be the icing on the cake.

What Edward needed was a good way to relieve some tension. I could use some relief myself. But truly, even with the restraints and floggers, or the crop, I can't get enough of the tension out. And trust me, I've tried. We don't get in to the BDSM stuff all the time, but it's been more often this month. And I've beaten Edward until I thought my arm would fall off and it was sore the next day. At this point, the only thing I think would make us both feel better would be getting our hands on that asshole who took Bella. But noooo…. Fucking husband of mine had to go and promise the jarhead _he_ could decide the fate of the psycho. Now I would like to know what the hell he was thinking when he offered _that_ little deal. Stupid man.

Now, I've grown to really love my husband, and God bless, he is a freak in the sack, but I _really _disagree with this agreement with the Marine. I know he didn't _have_ to help us, and that he has his own grudge against this Alec nutjob, but really, did Edward have to take away all my fun? I had such great plans for him, and now I have to rework them all. At least he's giving me Jenks. I know most wives wouldn't want to be involved in this part of our life, but then again, I'm not most wives. I've proven that again and again.

Fate must have had something good in store for Edward and I when our parents began negotiations. From the first time I saw him, I knew there was something special between us. I could feel that great things would come of our union, which was why I didn't fight it. I know my parents had no idea that I'm a little bit domme (hell, they still thought I was a virgin!) and his father have surrendered to an early grave if he knew Edward had even the tiniest submissive streak in him, so when we were paired up, it was pure luck. Our explosive sexual chemistry flowed over to the other aspects of our life together, and together, we are now unstoppable.

I don't know of any other husbands in this business that let their wives get involved in the really dirty bits, but Edward loves to see my creative sadistic streak. Every time he lets me in on a hit, or an interrogation, it ends with incredibly hot, up against a wall, screaming, biting, dirty fucking. I love it, and he loves how disarmed people are when they see me in the room. It makes it so much more fun to break them. It's a winning situation all around, except for the objects of our attention, of course. But they should have just behaved themselves and done what they were told to, then they wouldn't end up in the lower levels of Masen Tower. It really wasn't that hard to avoid.

So now I have to work out the perfect plan for Jenks. My intuition is telling me I have to leave him in one piece, and suitable for normal operation of his business. I'm not quite sure why, but I think we are going to end up needing him to catch Alec. So here I sit, in Bella's hospital room, flipping pages of a supply catalog while trying to plan for Jenks. I know he's been lodging in our less-than-stellar accommodations for two days now. I'm going to have to deal with him today, I know. Something tells me he can't be gone for too long, and I always listen to my gut.

The phone I've been monitoring chimes with a new text message. –_Watch out, little sister, I'll be coming for you next. After I get her back, I'm coming for you, snitch._

Hmm…so Alec has figured out how we came to find him and Bella. That's interesting. Obviously, he won't be coming to her for help with his next plan now. That makes her much less valuable to us, for catching him anyway. She is cute though. I wonder if she can move at all. She's got that petite, blond, Tinkerbell look. Some of our clients dig that. I bet if we promised to protect her, she'd join the staff of dancers at the club. I've even got the apartment Bella's vacating if she's like to move in there and make it a little harder for her brother to find her. After all, he's not exactly stable or any kind of safe. And now that he's coming for her, we probably seem like the light side of the Force, comparatively.

That actually gave me an idea. I called our other information guy, one we kept employed solely for us. Alexi was former KGB, and very good at finding any kind of information on anyone, either digitally or through back alley meetings. Frankly, if he couldn't find it, it didn't exist.

"Alexi, it's Alice Masen."

"Zdravstvuĭte, Miss Alice. What am I able to do for you today?" Alexi was always respectful.

Alexi, I need to know everything there is to find about J. Jenks' family. I'd especially like to know if he has a daughter or son, and where they are. How long do you think it will take?"

I could hear the keys flying in the background as he typed.

"Jonah Jonathan Jenks, age 52, address listed at PO box 1744 in the Belltown neighborhood. Office listed in same neighborhood, on Cedar St. He probably lives in an apartment over his office," Alexi was rattling off information already.

"That sounds about right. Is there anything listed on his family?"

"_Ponyal_! I've got it, Miss Alice. He's tried to keep them hidden, but you know, nothing is ever truly unfindable." He chuckled at his own invented word. "I've got records here for court-mandated child support payments taken directly from his bank account every month. Court papers show one son, age 15 and one daughter, age… 18 yesterday! Residence listed with mother, ex-wife to Jenks, on Bainbridge Island."

"Alexi, you're a genius. I don't know what I'd do with out you!" I cooed at him. Alexi had always had a bit of a crush on me, and I saw no reason to dissuade him from his affection. It made him more loyal to us, and made Edward jealous. Win-win for me! Jealous Edward equals hot, sexy Edward, and lots of fun for me. Oh, and did I mention Alexi is gorgeous?

I could almost feel his blush over the phone line. "Anything for you, Miss Alice, you know that. I'm _always_ very happy to serve you, however you need." His voice was deep, and warm. I wonder if Edward would agree to having a male third in our bedroom. I know he doesn't mind females as a third from time to time, quite the contrary, but it might take some convincing to let me have Alexi as well as himself. Hmmm…

"Thank you, dear. I'll be sure to call you first the next time I need anything," I purred, "In the meantime, can you please email me with any information you can get on the daughter? I'll need her address and school, best friends, facebook page, anything you can get."

"Of course, Miss Alice. I'll send it to the usual account, in the normal encryption. Give me an hour, and I'll have her full life for you. Anything else today?"

"No, Alexi, that's all for today. Thanks so much for your help. You really are the best! Bye now!"

"Do svidaniya, Miss Alice. Take care"

True to his word, 35 minutes later I had a message on my blackberry. I pulled my laptop to retrieve the information I needed. I was in luck. Alexi was a miracle worker. I knew there was a reason we pay him so damn much, even when he couldn't find Alec and Bella. I know had an entire dossier on one Brittany Lynn Chadwell. Address, email, Facebook, best friends, class schedule, hobbies, pictures. Turns out Brittany's a dancer too, mostly jazz and modern now, but ballet in her early years. And beautiful as well. Not quite my type, but I knew a lot of people would go for her classic blond hair and blue eyes. With her dancer's figure, this was almost too good. I now knew exactly what I was going to do to Jenks. I sent someone to keep an eye on the girl at school, making sure he took a video camera and laptop with him to upload video, while I waited for Bella to wake up and for Rose to come so my shift here could end.

* * *

After Rose arrived, we sat there for a while together and chatted while I leafed through a supply catalog for the sex shop. I was actually just waiting for Edward to finish work. He had told me I could meet him at 6:45 to go have our sit-down with Jenks. I already had changes of clothes for the both of us, and Emmett was being allowed to join as well. Of course, I had to be the one to tell Rosalie he would be late coming home, and possibly messy. She was none too pleased about that, not that I cared. I know Edward had the closer relationship with Rosalie, but she certainly wasn't my favorite sibling. Personally, I was closest with James and Vic. She at least liked the same things I did, and we could trade clothes from time to time. Rose was just too tall, too busty, and a little too bitchy to me. Vic insisted that she was jealous of my involvement in the aspects of business that Emmett kept her hidden from, and that on top of that jealousy, she was never quite convinced of my feelings for Edward. Frankly, I was beyond caring. For fuck's sake, we've been married for 10 bloody years. If I didn't care about him by now, I would have left him years ago. I swear, overprotective runs in this family.

While we were sitting, Bella did actually wake up for a few minutes. She was a little out of it due to the intense pain meds they had her on, but it was really pretty amusing to listen to. It seems that she wasn't entirely sure she was awake, and therefore had no verbal filter. The ramblings were completely inane, and fabulous. Small bits about flying moose, and a squirrel? Maybe she picked up on part of the Cartoon Network hour we had going. There were a couple of episodes of Rocky and Bullwinkle. Then there was something about the squirrel in a gown with its tail hanging out. And something about pretty pink satin and her butt hidden. I think it was her way of thanking me for the clothes.

* * *

It was shortly after Bella fell unconscious again that I left. I Had Emmett pick me up and together we headed over to Masen Tower. We parked at the back, and used a service entrance there to get down to the sublevels. Along the way to the "guest quarters," I hit the intercom that directly linked to Edward's office to let him know we were here. He said he'd be down directly. We all stopped at the lockers we had had attached to a wall in an outer room to grab different clothes. After all, there was no way I was going to ruin these clothes. These pants were Dolce & Gabana, for crying out loud! Even if what I had planned for Jenks was not necessarily messy, there was no telling what Edward and Emmett would do. They were not known for their passivism.

I had just finished slipping into my messy jeans and one of Edward's old workout shirts when he came through the door. I was immediately wrapped in his strong arms with his voice soft and deadly in my ear.

"Hey, Baby. How was your day?"

I smiled up at him. "It was fine. Your sister actually woke up for a little while, and it was pretty funny. She couldn't tell she was awake. We should give her pain meds all the time, at least for our own entertainment."

He smiled at me, but his eyes hardened just the tiniest bit. I might have pushed it a little far. Note to self: no jokes about using Bella for entertainment value until she's released from the hospital. I may be in charge in the bedroom sometimes, but nowhere else and Edward was not someone you should try to piss off.

"Ha ha ha."

I pushed past the discomfort. "So, I have a plan for tonight," I informed him.

Now the smile was more genuine. "And just what did you have in mind, my devious little one?"

"Well, you might not like this part, but you can't hurt him too much tonight. He has to be able to re-enter society."

Edward just looked at me liked I had lost my mind.

"Trust me, Edward. He will do our bidding once he is free again. But in order to find Alec, I really think we will need him."

"But we have Jane! Surely he will contact her and we may track him from there." Edward was clearly not pleased with my plans.

I took a few minutes to show Jane's cell and the text she had received to my husband. Emmett came in dressed in different clothes as well. (I suppose Rosalie had had something to say on that count.) Emmett seemed more disappointed than Edward that there would be a limit on the bodily harm he could instill this evening. But as I revealed my plan, both men perked up quite a bit.

"Well, boys, the deal is this. Although I've already checked the phone for trace and it's a prepaid cell bought here in Seattle, and currently untraceable, we are not without hope. Obviously, Alec has figured out that Jane was the one who informed us of his location. He is now threatening her as well as plotting to re-abduct Bella. So Jane is not going to be needed as our pawn to reel in her brother. However, she may still be useful to us. I'm short a dancer at the moment, and Bella's old apartment is still available. She could easily move in there, be under our protection of sorts, and make us some money at the same time."

The men nodded at this. After all, I knew my logic was sound and beneficial to all involved. I continued with my explanation of my ingenious plot.

"So, since Alec cannot receive assistance from his sister, and he has alienated everyone else he knows, who do you think he will turn to? Hmmm, boys?" I looked between the two as they passed a mildly confused look between themselves. Then Edward turned to me, a sly smiling blossoming over his lovely features. It was a cunning smile, like that of a panther.

"He's got no one left but Jenks. But how do you plan to ensure his compliance?"

My blooming smile matched my husband's.

"Just you wait and see, boys. Just you wait." And with that I lead the way into the interrogation room.

* * *

Emmett dragged Jenks into the small room and seated him in the metal chair across the table from Edward and I. There was no other furniture in this room, though there was a large drain in the floor. It was hard to misunderstand its purpose. Emmett then stood by the door, guarding it from his escape while simultaneously furthering the intimidation. Jenks visibly cringed away from Emmett. I noticed his arm was in a makeshift sling, huddled close to his body, while one eye had obviously been black just a few days ago, but was currently fading to green and the other was swelling shut, having taken a much more recent hit. I caught Emmett's eye and chastised him with a tiny shake of my head. Jenks was too busy cowering away from the threat of more pain, he didn't notice. Finally, he looked up at us. He was obviously surprised to see me here, and looked to me pleadingly for his salvation. Ha.

"So, Mr. Jenks, we meet face to face. I do so wish it were under better circumstances," I smiled at him. This would work better if he trusted me.

"Indeed, Miss Alice, I do too. Please, you have to believe me, I had no idea of what he would do. I merely acted out of trying to protect your family. Please, I didn't mean it!" It was at this point that he dissolved into incoherent blubbering, pleading for understanding.

"Of course, Mr. Jenks. I totally understand that. I know you meant no harm to our innocent Bella. After all, how could you possibly know that the person that bought information from you about Isabella had less than honorable intents for it? I can not imagine how you could possibly perceive that perhaps some harm may come from someone who chose to purchase the information rather than just have a conversation with Bella to get to know her. And how could you come forward once you were questioned about her whereabouts and any information about her abductor? Why that would have put you directly in our path, would it not? And as we all know, the Masen family is one you do not try to get in the way of." I turned to my husband, and then Emmett, and finally back to Jenks. "In fact, Mr. Jenks, I'm so sure that you intended no malice with your actions, I'm going to set you free."

At this, his head snapped up, checking my face for any sign of dishonesty. Seeing none, he turned to Edward, and his face fell. My husband was wearing an evil smirk, one which I was well acquainted with. I always enjoyed _that_ smirk.

"What do you mean, Miss Alice? What are you telling me?"

"You see, Mr. Jenks, you are now going to help us, to earn your life back. You are going to help us find Alec," I informed him.

"How am I supposed to do that? I have no idea where he is. I have no idea _where_ he is! How am I supposed to catch him for you?" Jenks was obviously afraid of this task. I would be if I were him too. Of course, I knew this would work, while he didn't.

"You, my friend, are going to go back to your life, and wait for Alec to come to you. _Alec_ is the man you sold the details of my sister-in-law's life to." I smiled smugly at him, knowing he would now be a bit confused. "I'm sure you understand the concept of an alias, Mr. Jenks. I'm told you've even used them from time to time. I think you're getting sloppy, Mr. Jenks. You should know better than to believe people are telling you the truth all the time. I believe you know Alec as Jasper Hale."

Understanding dawned on Jenks' face. It seemed he wasn't as dumb as we thought.

"So you think he's just going to call me out of the blue for help? Why on earth would he do that?" Jenks was genuinely curious as to why we thought this.

Edward jumped in at this point.

"You're the only one he has left to go to. So here's how it's going to work. Emmett will now be with you, all day, every day. We will tap your phones at home, the office, and your cell. You will be able to conduct business as you normally would, except you will know that Emmett is nearby. He may not be in site, but he will always be close by. When Alec contacts you, we will know, and we will be there."

Jenks was not completely a fool though. "What are you not saying here?"

I laughed. "You are reasonably astute after all, Mr. Jenks." I turned around and pulled out my laptop. Opening it and clicking a few buttons, I brought up the proper page and turned it around to face Jenks.

"You recognize this girl, Jonah?" He gulped, and nodded. "I should think so. You see, this is live video feed right now." I pulled out my cell and made a phone call. "Hey, Tiny, So me a favor and prove this is a live feed you've given me." The camera panned around to show a phone, connected to "Miss Alice" with today's time and date, and then panned back to the view of the girl doing homework in her bedroom. "You see, Jonah, you made it possible for my sister to disappear. In return, I can easily make your daughter disappear. One step out of line and I'll sell young Brittany into slavery in Latvia. I hear they love American girls there. Do we understand each other, Mr. Jenks?"

Jenks nodded. I figured as much. Anyone who went to trouble to hide the fact that he had children was going to agree to anything to protect them.

Edward spoke up again. "If you are successful with this, we'll forgive the hand you had in Isabella's kidnapping. Our organization is obviously never going to do business with you again, but your life, and that of your daughter, will no longer be forfeit. Cross me again however, and even your son and wife will end up as whores or drug mules." And with that, we rose and left the room. Emmett would accompany Jenks home and start surveillance. It shouldn't take too long for us to get some results and a lead on Alec.

* * *

So we're still review whores. Leave us some love.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Ok, we know you're pissed. We have no excuse for the missed updates, other than Real Life issues. Do you know how hard it is to write with your Father in Law couched on your sofa for 2 Freakin' Weeks? Or being so sick you can't breath? Also, none of the characters wanted to talk to us. So we're sorry, and we're trying to get back on schedule.

As always, we own nothing but the plot, and some new furniture on my porch.

On with the show.

* * *

Victims of Rage  
Chapter 7

Edward POV

I was trying to keep a clear head. _Must not kill the marine. Must not threaten James' friend. _ It was my mantra now.  
It had been two weeks since we found Bella. Two weeks since I had seen my baby sister bleeding out on a gurney, while she was being pulled into surgery. Two weeks since I had broken down in tears praying for her to wake up and be okay. I knew in my head that none of it was my fault, and that I hadn't caused her to be abducted by a madman, but that hadn't helped me feel less guilty. It was my job to take care of the family, my job to keep her safe. I had failed, and she had been hurt.  
It didn't matter that I'd only ever been tying to protect my sister. In the end, that urge to shelter her, to protect her from the evils of the world I was only too familiar with, was what had driven her to separate herself from all of us. And that separation lead to her being in the wrong place at the wrong time. So I needed to find a way to let her live and make her own choices, while still being close enough for me to keep an eye on her. Alice had helped me see this, over the course of many guilt ridden discussions over the six weeks, since Bella was first taken. Which is why I was now having coffee in the hospital cafeteria with James and Jasper.

"So, Jasper, would you like to tell me what it was I walked in on yesterday? It seemed like I may have been interrupting something." I tried to keep the question civil. I was really trying to keep this polite.

Jasper smiled at me. "Truthfully, no, I don't want to tell you what you interrupted. It was a private moment between Bella and I. But I do understand your concern, and I will let you know that I have no intent to take advantage of your sister. Is that enough for you?"

"Hell no, it's not enough!" I growled. I stopped, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath while repeating my mantra. _Must not kill the marine. Must not threaten James' friend._ "I walk in to Bella's room to see you two sitting too close for comfort and then she ends up having a panic attack and tears her stitches? What part of that makes you think I'd be okay without an explanation? Do you know _anything_ about me?" I looked to my brother for some back up on this. James nodded at me and turned back to Jasper.

"Sarge, you have to understand where we're coming from. This doesn't exactly look good. Bella's very fragile right now. We nearly lost her, and have only just gotten her back. I really don't think she's ready for anything like a relationship, and she's certainly not up to anything physical. On top of that, she's on some pretty heavy duty drugs, and may not be thinking so clearly right now."

_Ok, James, I get it, Good brother/ Bad brother. I see how we're going to play this. I can do that._

Jasper looked at James, shocked. Then he turned to me with the same expression on his face. "Wait a second, you two actually think I'm trying to use your sister to scratch an itch? You think I want to hurt that girl, or that I wouldn't do anything I could to protect her from being hurt? Jesus, James, I've known you for nearly 10 years. You actually think I'm that desperate that I have to go after a girl while she's in the hospital recovering from a brutal kidnapping, and a gunshot wound? Good to know what you really think of me there, buddy. I would have thought you knew me better than that!" Now he looked pissed. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at James, who actually looked chagrined. _No, James, no weakness!_

"Jasper, look-," I started to speak but was cut off by James.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Sarge." James turned to me. "Edward, we may not like this, but I have to admit, I've never seen J act like anything less than a perfect gentleman with the ladies, even while we were bouncing around the world and the women threw themselves at us everywhere. I've never seen him even look at another girl while he had Maria, even when we'd been out of the country for months at a time."

I was not impressed. "That doesn't change the fact that Bella is not ready for anything right now, or the fact that he triggered a panic attack in her yesterday. James, you didn't see her thrashing around, she couldn't breathe! They had to come in, tie her down, and sedate her, just so they could fix her stitches. There was blood everywhere! She was terrified of something, and I think it was him!"

I had never felt so helpless as I did sitting there trying to get Bella to calm down enough to just take a breath. Her eyes were so wide I could see the white all around her iris and they weren't focused at all. They were staring blankly at the wall, while her mind was trapped inside her own head. And then the blood. I've never been squeamish around blood, but there was something about seeing Bella's blood seep out and stain those satin pajamas Alice kept dressing her in that made me want to vomit everywhere. My breathing got ragged just remembering how useless and out of control I'd felt then. And if there was one thing I didn't like feeling, it was out of control.

Jasper had relaxed after James stuck up for him and was now leaning forward his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his fists before raking his fingers through his curls that were growing out. He took a deep breath that seemed to catch a little.

"I know. Look, I have no idea what set her off, but you're right. She was definitely terrified. But really, I have no idea what scared her so much. I only wish I knew, I never want to see her like that again, and I'll do anything I can to prevent it. If I could erase the images of her panic attack from my memory, I would. They just keep playing over and over in my head." He looked up at us, catching our eyes in turn, the absolute remorse ringing out of him, loud and clear. It almost made me believe what he was saying, _almost_. "But I swear, she was fine before you walked in, Edward. She was smiling at me, for god's sake! She kissed me back! It wasn't until I got up to leave with you that things went wrong."

James took advantage of Jasper's head in his hands to lock eyes with me. I knew that look. He was buying into Jasper's apparent guilt and grief, telling me silently to back off. I had to admit, the more I watched him, and as I thought about how much time he'd spent just quietly sitting with Bella observing her reactions to everyone around her, I was starting to believe he might actually care about her too. But I'd be damned if I was going to let him know that.

"Right. Well, whatever it was that caused the panic attack, we can't be sure of without asking Bella and I'm not going to bring it up to her. I'm sure she just wants to forget about it. But I can tell you this right now; she had better not have another one when you're around. If I think you're the cause of her stress, I won't hesitate to remove you from her life." I made sure I maintained eye contact as I said this, to make sure he understood. "And if she is hurt as a result of your actions, I promise you, they'll never find your body." I really hoped he knew this wasn't a bluff.

James took this opportunity to jump into the conversation. About damn time, if you ask me.

"So what exactly are you planning anyway, Sarge? You know she's not ready for anything right now," he asked. I was glad for the assist, as I knew Jasper wasn't inclined to answer my questions.

"I don't have a plan, James. All I really know is that I've always felt a draw to your sister, from the letters you read. I just want a chance to know her. But I can promise you, I have no intentions of forcing my attentions on her or of making her uncomfortable. For now, I just want to make sure she's safe and continues to heal." His eyes were shining with his intensity. I had to admit, at least to myself, that I could see that he was sincere in what he was saying.

"Really? Since the letters? I just thought you were homesick, and that was why you always wanted to hear them." James was surprised that Bella could have that kind of effect without ever having been introduced, apparently. I wasn't. She always managed to put so much of herself into letters. I had loved when she wrote to me while I was away at school.

I thought Jasper was actually going to blush, but no such luck. He merely ducked his head a bit and smiled at his friend.

"Yeah, she just seemed like a special girl, with a lot of love for her family. And she wrote you all the time. That shows devotion and care about others, both qualities I really respect. Plus, her letters were smart and funny. I wanted to know her, though it wasn't anything more than that at the time. Besides, I was with Maria, and happy. I never would have done anything to jeopardize that." Sarge was grinning now, as he assumed the danger was over and we were pacified.

"Fine. Just know you've been warned. And watch yourself. If I find out you've done anything to make Bella uncomfortable, you're out. And I don't give second chances," I warned him. "Now, I have a meeting to get to, in the meantime. James, walk me out?" I asked, catching his eye. He knew I just wanted to talk to him without Sarge around. I'm sure Jasper did too, as a matter of fact. He rose from his seat.

"Actually, I'm going to head back up to Bella's room. It's getting late and I'm sure she's getting tired and ready for everyone to leave. I don't want to wake her up by coming in after she's settled down for the night. Always a pleasure, Edward. James, will I see you upstairs?" he asked.

"Yeah, Sarge. I'll be up in a few. Vic's just about done her shift anyway. I'll stop in to say goodnight and we'll be on our way too." James nodded and turned back to me as Jasper walked away. "Well?" he asked.

I was straightforward. "I don't like it."

"We can't stop this if she wants him. It will only push her away from all of us. You have to let her experience life, Edward."

The sigh was out of my mouth before I could stop it. "Don't you think I know that? Jesus, Alice has been telling me that for the past year! I can't help the need to protect her though."

"Well, let's look at it this way. At least, if she _is_ interested in Jasper, we know he's a good guy. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her. He's dependable and loyal, he'd lay down his life for any of us. On top of that, he's able to protect her and he always treated Maria like a queen. I've never heard him say anything out of line about any woman, not even when all the guys were trading locker room stories. J always just said that whatever did or didn't happen between him and any lady was only between them, and none of anyone else's business. Personally, if she has to date anyone, I'd rather it be him."

"And if she's not interested?" I didn't want to admit there was any possibility that my baby sister was going to date anyone, ever.

"J's not going to force himself on any girl, nor is he going to make her uncomfortable if his attentions are unwanted. The man _might_ beg for forgiveness, if he ever screws up, but he's not going to beg for a date, that's for sure." I could tell James was amused with my concerns, but I wasn't in the mood for mockery.

"Good," I grunted. I knew I was being immature, but I didn't care. It was going to take me a while to be able to freely talk about the idea of anyone dating Bella. I knew this was part of why she felt she had to get away from us, but still... she was my baby sister, and I worried. I was trying, though. Hey, I hadn't gotten him dragged off to a secure bunker somewhere undisclosed yet, or her, had I?

VoR-VoR-VoR-VoR-VoR

A week after our sit-down with Jasper, Bella was being discharged form the hospital. We had all agreed that Rose would be the sibling to help her get settled into the new apartment. Jasper was, of course, accompanying them. He would now be a nearly permanent fixture in our lives, especially Bella's, until Alec was caught. Rose had begged us all to let her take Bella home, to give her some time to start getting to know her sister. Rosalie and Bella had never been close, though that was not seemingly through anyone's fault. It was more that the age difference between was so great that neither knew how to bridge it. When Rose was a teenager, she wanted nothing to do with Bella and her dolls and stories. It wasn't the product of dislike, merely disinterest years ago that neither knew how to bridge anymore. So time together was the hope of the rest of us, to bring Bella back into the fold.

I was personally greatly disappointed. I wanted to be the one to show Bella her new home. I had had the entire place gutted and rehabbed just for her. I knew she would love the gas fireplace in the sunken living room, as well as the stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, with the huge workstation in the center. Bella had always loved playing with new recipes in the kitchen. Not all her creations were amazing, at least not the last time she invited me for dinner years ago, but she enjoyed it, and so I wanted to make that easier for her to pursue.

I had also had a reading nook installed in the corner of the living room, nearest the balcony. I personally picked out the chaise, table, and lamp there and set them in front of the bookcase I had built into the wall there. I told Victoria to find furniture to match it for the rest of the room. I hoped it would become a favorite spot for her.

On the wall opposite the fireplace, I made sure there were shelves built into the wall for holding books or movies, whatever she wanted. I did make sure that her Tim Burton collection was prominently displayed on the shelves right next to the entertainment center. I included her figurines alongside the movies, and filled out her collection with one or two things I noticed she was missing. I also got her couple new gaming systems, a PS3 and a Wii, along with games for both. I made sure to get her all the proper accessories for Wii Fit, and the platform adventure games I knew from her former neighbor she liked. The whole Ratchet and Clank series was there for her, as well as all the Lego games. I even included a few games for Jasper, since I was sure he'd need something to do while she was sleeping most of the day away.

Across from the living room and attached to the kitchen was the dining room. Bella's old apartment hadn't had a formal dining room, but I made sure that Rose helped find an appropriate set to fill the room. We had been surprised to find that Bella still had all of our grandmother's good wedding china, carefully packed away in a room at the family home. I made the decision that it should be put on display and it was now proudly set in the corner china cabinets built into the room, the subdued light from the chandelier glinting off the gold leaf on the plates and catching your eye as you passed through.

Down the hall from the dining room were the bedrooms. Originally, the apartment had had four medium sized bedrooms. No longer. Now there was a large master bedroom suite, including a master bath with a garden tub with Jacuzzi jets in jade green marble, as well as steam shower with built in bench, his and hers sinks in the same marble, and a separate screened area for the toilet. Everything here was done in greens and natural slate for the floors, which were heated.

Attached to the bedroom was another balcony with French doors, which were draped in sheer white fabric. These matched the canopy of the king size bed, which was a framed four-poster with more sheer white fabric draping down at the head and foot. It reminded me of my honeymoon with Alice and the villa we had stayed at on the Mediterranean coast in Greece, simple but lovely. There was another sitting area in here as well, with a couch and armchair to match the bed. There were bookcases covering the entire wall between the two matching walk-in closets, his and hers again. Right now, Bella's clothes occupied one, and the other was being used as extra storage for bed linens, towels, and the like.

Attached to the master bedroom was a small room, designed as an office. I had brought Bella's computer here, as well as some upgrades for her, such as a new webcam and printer. I also bought her a new laptop, knowing she probably wouldn't have energy enough to sit at the desk for long just yet. The walls of this room were covered in her framed awards, both from high school and college. Her diploma was placed in the center of the wall, and just beside it was a large picture of the entire family, taken the day Bella graduated college. It seemed so long ago, and at the same time, like it was just yesterday. Things were changing rapidly around us.

The study connected to the other bedroom on this side of the hall. This was where I had put Bella's bedroom furniture from her old place. It was close by, in case she was more comfortable there for a little while. Across the hall were the last bedroom and the guest bath. I had the bed Jasper picked out put in there. I knew it would make more sense for him to be closer to Bella, but hey, I got a baby monitor too. He could keep just as close an eye on her from in here, and give me some piece of mind at the same time. _Give me a break, all right? I'm trying here!_

I was really proud of the space I had helped create for Bella. I thought it reflected her personality, and though it was grander than she would have chosen for herself, she deserved nice things. I'm bummed I wasn't the one who got to show it off to her first, but it turned out not to make a difference. She was so exhausted from the trip home from the hospital, she didn't even take a tour of the house until the next day, when Vic, Rose, and I could all be there to show her together. She complained that everything was too much, expectedly, but I think we could all see that she loved it. We had picked everything out with her in mind, trying to keep to her own style. I was glad she liked it, I wanted this to be a place she could be proud of, and that she would live here for a while. She could even turn the room next to the study into a nursery; if she ever found someone she wanted to be with like that. _See, I'm open to possibilities, just in the abstract sense._

After a week in the new apartment, it seemed all our concerns about Bella and Jasper getting involved were for nothing, and I couldn't be more pleased. The few times I'd been by to visit her, I'd observed the stiff and very awkward interaction between the two of them. Even though it was clear he, at least, was trying. She really wasn't giving him anything to work with. I was currently relaxing in my office, thinking perhaps I could swing by and take Bella out for a bite to eat. I'm sure she must be getting tired of the same walls all the time. Just then my phone rang, the special business line.

"Masen here," I answered brusquely.

"Mr. Masen, it's Jenks. I have some information for you. I've been contacted by a former client of mine, whom you had shown some interest in…" he trailed off.

_It's about goddamned time!_

"How were you contacted, Jenks. And what was the request?"

"Mr. Masen, I believe it would be better to handle this is person. The situation is delicate, to say the least. Is there somewhere you would be comfortable meeting me? I am, of course, open to whatever time frame is best for you, sir," he groveled. _I do so love when they kiss ass._

"Well now, Mr. Jenks, is my associate still with you?" I was curious as to why I was hearing this first from Jenks rather than Emmett.

"He only just stepped out to deal with another issue, he said, sir. He should be back momentarily, but I thought I would let you know as soon as I had any information."

I smiled. Jenks was playing this exactly as I had suspected he would. It's so nice when a plan come together.

"Very well. When my associate returns, have him bring you to my office, in the rear of the building. He'll know where to go."

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you for calling, Jenks. I'll be seeing you soon." I hung up without waiting for a reply.

VoR-VoR-VoR-V0R-VoR

It turned out that Jenks had received a file via email from someone posing as a Jacob Black. This person apparently was trying to track down an ex-girlfriend, by the name of Jane Vincent. Her last known address and employer were listed, and several pictures of her. Money for the job of tracking her down and relaying the information on her whereabouts had already been deposited in one of Jenks' accounts, the same one Alec had deposited into when posing as Jasper. I highly doubted this was coincidence; the whole thing reeked of Alec. While tracking the email would take a while, at least we had a name to go on in the meantime. I called James right away. It wasn't much, but it was a lead somewhere, and we were going to follow it, wherever it led.

* * *

AN: And, we have some progress. Let's see where that goes.

Now that both Pheonix and Balti's lives are back to normal, or at least as normal as they ever get, we'll get back on schedule, hopefully. That should mean an update on Obsessed in one week, and another on VoR in a little less than 2 weeks. Again, we're really sorry about this.

As for fic rec's this week, I just read a good one that is complete. _The Bond of Brotherhood_ by Crazy Chick 74. This is up on FF. What would have happened if Edward and Alice died in Phoenix? And knew it would happen and made provisions? Give it a chance.

Also, _Bourbon and Tea_ by Zigster. Alcoholic Jasper and Bella who's dealt with it all her life.


	8. Chapter 8

As always, we own nothing but the plot. All characters are property of SM. But our versions are more badass than hers.

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Victims of Rage

Chapter 8

Emmett POV

Christ, I was so fucking bored. This Jenks asshole is a lowlife, and not even a good one at that. I've been following him around, letting him run his normal business for two weeks. And I swear, the only thing keeping me from putting my Glock in my mouth and pulling the fucking trigger myself is the thought of the blowjob I'll be getting as soon as I walk in my front door. I mean, really, these "cases" are such bullshit. Who the fuck cares if your husband is cheating on you, bitch? Maybe if you ever had sex with him, or you hadn't gained a hundred pounds since you got married, he wouldn't feel the need to cheat. Maybe if he got met with a hummer at the front door like I do every day, he wouldn't go looking for it in other places!

Of course, if I ever had suspicions that Rose was being less than one hundred percent faithful, I'd just kill her myself. Well, maybe not kill. Wouldn't want to piss off Edward. That man scares the shit out of me. And he even likes me. Can't imagine what it's like to be on the other side of his favor. Most everything I am, I have because of him. Or at least two thirds of my bank account. I know a good portion of that is because of Rose, and that he wants to see her well taken care of, but I would like to think that I have at least earned some of his respect on my own too. After all, he did let me in on the meeting with that Jane chick, and I've been the one with Jenks all this time. Even if it has been a waste of time. There haven't been any leads so far.

I had really wanted to be able to be the one who went after this Alec guy, to get Bella. It wasn't so much that I cared about Bella, I mean, she was nice enough and all but she wasn't really close to any of us, but I thought that would make Rose happy if I were part of the team that rescued her sister. And I was all about making Rose happy. When Rose was happy, I got rewards. Oh well, at least I got to rough up Jenks a bit. That was always fun.

I smiled as I reached into my pocket, pulling out my travel stash and a tiny silver spoon that attached to it. Lots of people were born with a silver spoon in their mouths, but not me. Mine was in my nose. Fuck me if I was going to grow one of those gay-ass "coke nails" to use for my habit. As much bad taste as my father had, that was one lesson "Big Daddy C" taught me well. "Coke nails are for assholes." And the lesson about hookers too, let's not forget that. "Make sure they're clean and wrap it up anyway. And you don't pay them for the sex, you pay them to go away after you've shot your load." Invaluable advice, that was.

I snorted the bump quickly and followed with one to the other nostril. Jesus, I loved this shit. You absolutely could not get anything this pure on the street. We were the biggest supplier on the west coast, and we even cut it a bit before selling it. I took my cut off the top before that happened. 100% pure Columbian blow, thank you very much. It wasn't my only vice, but it was my favorite.

I turned back to my monitors. I was in charge of the techno-surveillance for the family. I had the alarm systems for all the different residences and vehicles on one system, while I was flipping through different camera views on another. I truly appreciated having my office set up in the back of Alice's shop. I could use the entertainment of the private club cameras while I worked. And I got first look at any new merchandise that came in. I was planning on taking home a swing this week. I knew Rosalie wouldn't be thrilled with it, but I really didn't care that much. She'd enjoy it eventually, just like everything else.

I smiled to myself, thinking about my Rosie. I had to admit it had taken us a while to have any real affection in our relationship. Our courtship was really more or less handled by our fathers. I saw that she was hot, and useful to me, so I agreed to marry her. She didn't really have much choice in the matter at all. In the days before his stroke, Charlie Masen ruled everything in his world with an iron fist, including his kids. Hell, look at what he did to Edward. I remember when that kid was a blast to be around, and he showed affection freely then too. Now, if you got a smile and a handshake from him, it was high praise. But in our line of work, especially his position, a constant poker face was necessary.

Rose had been a hard nut to crack. We were married after just two months' engagement, and she was not at all comfortable with the idea of sex or me. But I pretended to be patient with her. She just didn't know that I had a girl on the side that whole time. _Don't look at me like that, that's how my father raised me. It's expected in our family._ After all, Rose wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of having sex with someone she didn't really know that well. So I gave her the time and tried to introduce things to her gently and in a way that gave her pleasure first. It worked for me. Now my wife was at my beck and call whenever I wanted her, and without complaint or excuse.

Rose really was a wonderful woman and now, after years of marriage, we did truly love one another. She was feisty, and loyal, and very intelligent. She had been working as a paralegal in V & C Law offices for several years now, which she enjoyed. And as I mentioned earlier, if it made Rose happy, I was happy. Our love hadn't been instant, but it was strong now.

I knew that right now Rose was with Bella, in the hospital, again. Bella had ripped out her stitches during a panic attack the other day, and so she had to stay another few days. But Rose said she was doing better and trying to walk and move about on her own. I knew it was bothering Rose that she wasn't closer to her little sister. She thought that Bella didn't like her, but I had argued with her on that. I thought back to that night.

_"She barely even talks to me, Emm. When she does, it's all stilted and awkward. We're like two strangers in a room together, not family. Why would she be like that unless she hated me?" she cried at me._

_"Well, hon, how are you with her? You don't know how to talk to her, because you don't really _know_ her. Has it occurred to you that she might feel that way too?" I questioned her._

_She paused to think about it. That was one thing I really liked about Rose, she listened and truly thought about things before answering._

_Finally, she looked up at me. "Okay, I can see how that could be true. So I guess the next question is, what do I do about it?"_

_I thought about it. "Bella should be released from the hospital in another week, right? What if you were the one to take her home? Maybe if you just spend some time with her, it'll help you get to know her. After all, when was the last time you really asked her opinion on something other than the weather or a dress? _Talk_ to her, about work, her old job, politics, whatever."_

_My suggestion was met with a thoughtful look and a bit of hope. I was also hopeful this would pan out well for my wife._

Rose did make the plans with the rest of the family that she would take Bella to her new home, even though that had to be pushed back after the panic attack. It was just as well; the rehab and redecorating of the new place had needed another few days anyway. They just finished painting yesterday and the house was airing out now. I had been through to wire in the security system myself before they finished the walls. Bella would never know the full extent of that system, but it made the rest of us feel better knowing it was there.

As I thought about it, I realized Bella had nearly as much surveillance equipment in her apartment as I had in Jenks' home, office, and phone. Not to mention the tracking device attached to him. That was one thing I had taken great pleasure in doing, tagging the idiot like a runaway dog. He couldn't go anywhere without my knowledge of it. His office and home had cameras everywhere and I could remotely hack into his computer anytime I wished. There were also people watching his family, as an insurance policy. He tried to distance himself from them, but I can find just about anything on anyone, once I had a name. We had promised him they were safe, just as long as he cooperated with us. So far he was totally playing by our rules.

~*~*~*~VoR~*~*~*~

It's been another two weeks and we still haven't tracked down Alec. We've gotten his sister a new job at Alice's shop, and she's been moved into Bella's old apartment, now that all Bella's stuff is out of it. Jane's a nice enough girl, now that her loyalties seem to be allied with us instead of her brother. Bella's been home now for about a week and a half. Rose was the one to take her home, and Bella seemed to really like the way Rose had set up the kitchen with all the latest cooking gadgets for her. That made Rosie's day, and mine too, once I got home that night.

Rosalie and Bella were slowly becoming closer, but it was a little at a time. I had to remind Rose that sometimes these things take time, but at least they were making progress. Rose thought Bella might be developing feelings for Sarge, but she hadn't asked for advice on things yet. I had been told by my sister that was a girl bonding thing, talking about boys together. How Tanya would know that, I have no idea. That girl was queerer than a three-dollar bill, even if my parents wouldn't admit it. I really wish my sister would stop hitting on my wife though. Not that I was opposed to a little girl-on-girl action with my wife involved, what man was, really? But not with my sister. That's just gross. I wonder if Jane likes girls? Maybe I should hook her up with Tanya. Hmm, that's an idea. I'll ask Alice if she knows which way Jane swings.

Thoughts of Jane brought my mind back to the present. A few days ago, Jenks received an email along with a deposit into an account, for a job tracking down Jane. We all were sure it was from Alec, though the name didn't match. It appeared he was now aware that his sister had helped us to get Bella back and now he was out for revenge_. Good luck there, buddy. Now we're looking for you._ The email had been traced to an IP address based in Berkley, CA. So here I was, walking down the street, trying to match the address to a business. I ended up at a Starbucks shop, full of college kids and hippies sipping lattes and typing on laptops. Perfect.

This was both good news and bad news. On the down side, he could be anywhere in a fifty mile radius, or have just stopped on his way somewhere else. On the up side, I now have a signature for his laptop. For some reason I just felt like he wasn't actually in this town and was using it to throw us off his scent a bit. After all, Berkley was an expensive place to live and we knew that he didn't have a ton of money but was spending quite a bit to hire Jenks twice. I had a feeling he was in a nearby town, where he could be less conspicuous.

I sat down in the café and brought out my laptop. The first thing I did was to get around the firewall Starbucks had installed. Then I used my techno-savvy to link in to Jenks' system so I could pull up all the routing info from "Jacob's" email. _Trying to find an old girlfriend my ass._ As I hacked my way through the net, I was surprised at some of the other activity I was registering from Alec's computer. There were searches for hospital information in Portland, real estate in Alaska, and wedding china from Bergdorf Goodman's bridal online. _What on earth is this nutcase planning?_

Suddenly, I realized exactly what he was planning. Alec must know that Bella made it through surgery and was going to try to get her back! That's what the Alaska cabin was for. And he was going to try to marry her! I was positive he wouldn't succeed, but I sure as hell wasn't taking chances. Bella would not be alone, ever. I picked up the phone to call Edward.

_"Masen."_

"Edward, I have news."

_"Thank god, Emmett. It's about time! What have you got for me?" _he asked brusquely.

"Ok, I've traced his IP to a place in Berkley, and I'm sitting in the café he used as we speak. But, Edward, I got a bad feeling about this. I don't think he's here in Berkley, I think it's a decoy place, so we don't get too close. What scares me more though, are the searches I've pulled from his history."

_"Well, out with it. What have you got? What do you think he's planning?"_

"It looks like he's planning on taking her again, and taking her to Alaska this time. He got property searches up there, as well as wedding stuff. He looked up the hospitals in Portland, so I'm sure that he knows she made it, even though I went in and changed all their records to erase her name from everything. The good news is that he doesn't know exactly where she is at the moment, but he could find it if he hacked the post office to find the forwarding address. What do you want me to do, Masen?" I asked.

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

_"You really think he's not there? Why? Do you have any idea where he may be?"_

"I can't be sure, but it looks like he's plugging into IPs in the San Jose area for his searches. That's not too far from here. He could be hiding there and just coming here for communication purposes to keep us looking in the wrong place. But I don't think the email to Jenks is the last we'll hear from him. I'm sure he's going to try to contact Bella somehow. You should be prepared up there," was my advice.

_"Okay then, Emmett. I'm going to make sure Bella is always being watched. I want you to go to San Jose and see if you can track down where he may be hiding. You can trace the IP addresses he's tapping into, right? Find a street address, like you did today. If you see him though,_ do not_ engage him. Follow him, track his movements, but do not let him know you're there."_

"You got it, boss. Do not engage. I get it." I wasn't thrilled with it, but I would follow instructions.

_"One more thing, Emm. Don't forget this guy is a trained Marine. He's more observant than your average target. Don't get too close,"_ he warned me.

"I got it, observe and report. I'll make a call for reinforcements if I find him, okay?"

_"Perfect. I'm sure James and Sarge will want in on this as well, and I did promise Sarge he could decide Alec's fate. If you can track him, I'll send them to you. Call me if you get any more information as well. Good luck." _The next thing I hear was a click into the receiver as Edward hung up.

I quickly packed up my laptop and case and headed out the door. It looks like I was heading to San Jose.

* * *

_AN: Um, Hi. Anyone out there? Anyone reading? I'd love to hear from you if you are. Not to beg or anything… But reviews are love, and let me know what you'd like to see. Otherwise you're left with whatever we come up with in our twisted heads. Who knows, maybe we'll turn Alice into a crack whore. Thoughts?_


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This chapter follows Obsessed chapter 20. Please read that first.

As always, we own nothing but the plot. All characters are owned by SM, we just make them dirtier and more fun.

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Victims of Rage

Chapter 9

Rosalie POV

"Emmett, when are you coming home?" I knew I was whining, but at this point, I didn't much care.

"Rosie, you know this is important. I have to try to find this asshole, before he goes after your sister again. Don't you care about that?" he was scolding me again.

"Of course I care, Emmett. I'm just lonely here. I keep trying with Bella, but she's so distant. She doesn't seem to really care if I'm around. I'm tired of trying. I don't want to try to compete with my sister in law for a chance to be close to Bella. And I want my husband back home." I was pouting, true, but what was the point anymore? I felt like I had tried everything.

"Well, babe, why don't you go shopping with Vicky? Or you could go audition some more girls for Alice's club? That can help you keep busy while I'm still here in Cali. I know you're lonely, but there's lots to do to keep occupied. And don't give up on your sister. God knows, if I have to put up with mine, you can keep trying with yours."

Emmett was interrupted by the beep of my phone, indicating another call coming in. I quickly promised to call him back and switched lines.

"Hello," I answered.

"Um, Rose? Hey, it's Bella," came the timid voice on the other end.

I was more than a little surprised to hear from Bella. I knew that she was upset and that she had received a package from Alec. Emmett had filled me in on the details when we talked earlier. I was shocked she'd called me at all, let alone when I figured she would want comfort and reassurance.

"Hi, Bella. What's going on? Did you need me for something?" I couldn't keep the hopeful tone out of my voice. I really did want a relationship with my little sister.

"Well, uh, I sort of have a date tomorrow, and I need a new dress. I really want to look good. So Vic is going to come over tomorrow and take me shopping. I wondered if you, um, wanted to come along?" Her voice rose at the end of her request, like she was afraid to ask. Why would Bella be afraid to ask me anything? But I was more than thrilled to join on the shopping trip. This sounded like a good chance. I could spend time with Bella, getting to know her, but Vicky would be there as a buffer if things got too awkward.

"Oh, Bella, I'd be happy to go. Do you have any idea where you'd like to go? I have good relationships with the owners of a few different shops around town. We could go look at all the newest merchandise!"

"Really? Oh, Rose, that's great. I'd really appreciate your help. You have great taste."

"Thanks, Bella, it means a lot that you'd ask for my help on this. Now, did you say this is for a date? Do I need to ask who the lucky guy is? Have you been internet dating?" I couldn't believe Bella had a date. I didn't know she was even able to get out of the house so soon. She was still having a lot of trouble when I took her home a couple weeks ago, and I didn't think she would have recovered so quickly.

Bella's shocked gasp revealed that there was more to this than I was seeing. "Internet dating?" she squeaked.

"Yeah, you know, and such. You don't have to be embarrassed, Bella. Lots of couples meet that way now. Don't worry, I won't tell Edward or James either. You deserve to be able to date in peace. I'm just a little surprised, that's all."

Bella just laughed at me. It was clear I was out of the loop on something. "Rose, I promise I'll explain everything tomorrow. I'd just rather not explain over the phone. But Vic is going to come by around ten in the morning. You could meet us here then, if you'd really like to come." Her voice was quiet, and I couldn't tell if she was trying to not say anything in front of prying ears, or if she expected me to turn her down. My answering tone matched hers.

"Of course I'll be there. I'll even bring the coffee. Any requests?"

"Caramel latte with an extra shot? I'm craving the caffeine and sugar. Jasper's had me on an über healthy diet since we came home. I almost miss the hospital. At least they gave me cake!" she giggled. I had to laugh in return.

"No problem. I'll be there around a bit before ten then, coffees in hand. We'll see what we can do about getting you some other sweets throughout the day." My voice lowered as I added, "I'm really glad you called, Bella. Thank you."

We quickly signed off after that. I returned the call to my husband, and told him about the great turn of events. He chuckled down the line at me.

"I told you it would all work out, babe. No worries. Are you sure the guys are going to be okay with it just being you girls shopping?"

"We'll be fine, Em. I'm not worried. After all, you said the psycho is down in California, right? And on top of that, there will be three of us, and I'm sure neither Vic nor I are going to let Bella out of our sight. We're not stupid, you know."

"Never said you were, babe. Just making sure everyone's being careful. Don't forget your taser, and make sure Bella has some pepper spray or something, would you? Just in case you get separated at any point."

"I will. I'm sorry for snapping at you. Don't worry, we'll be careful, and we'll take care of her."

"Just so long as you take care of yourself too, Rosie. I know she's your sister and all, but frankly I worry about you being around her. I don't want you hurt as collateral damage."

And right there, that was the reason I thought arranged marriages could work. Sure, Emmett and I hadn't always gotten along, and we'd both had to adjust to each other. But in the end, we grew to truly love each other. He was a little crude and demanding, but he cared about me, and kept me safe and protected and loved.

We said our goodnights and I settled in to plan for tomorrow. I had a couple of great ideas for where to take Bella. I thought _Bridget Anabel _would be a great place to start. They usually had a great selection of trendy, yet classy clothes. I figured Bella wouldn't want anything too slutty or revealing, but if she wanted some new lingerie or something a little more along those lines, there was another shop not too far away that could fit those needs easily. We actually had a few lines of credit there and used it quite often for the girls at Alice's club and the house next door.

I laid in bed thinking back over the past few years and Bella's time away from us. In truth, we had never been close. I just didn't know her that well. I was too much older than her for us to really get along when we were growing up. I was trying to change that, but it wasn't easy.

I had been by Bella's side constantly while she was still in the hospital. I brought her some books to read, and the puzzle books I thought she liked. But she still didn't really talk to me. Of course, it's not like I knew what to say to her either. I really didn't know Bella very well and that made it awkward with us. I was jealous when she was born, since I had been Daddy's princess and now there was a new girl to take my place. Then she took all my toys and was always in my room. She ruined so many of my lipsticks when she was playing dress up, and it always made me angry. Then as she grew, she rebelled against everything I had been taught. I tried to teach her how to get by on the system that Dad instilled in his house. I was never left alone myself as a young girl, and while it was annoying, I understood. He was just trying to keep me safe, and innocent. Charlie still viewed women as pawns to be used and traded for his advantage. It was an outdated view, but that's how he was.

I actually had a lot of respect off Bella breaking off the way she had. I was terribly afraid when I was told I would be marrying Emmett. I knew that Charlie was trying to broker a partnership with the Cullen family, and that my marriage would solidify that, but Emmett's reputation was not exactly sterling. He was known as a hot head, impulsive, and sometimes violent, but with me, Emmett was always patient and caring. He took time with me to allay my fears and let me get to know him, without pushing me. And now I truly loved him. I can't imagine where I would be without him. But I was certainly more than a little scared, at first. I just didn't have the courage Bella had had to say no.

One big difference in Bella's situation from mine though was the presence of Charlie. By the time Bella came of age, he had already had his stroke and was in the care facility, and Edward had taken over family affairs. And Edward wasn't going to disown her when she defied him. He may not show it to everyone, but I knew what a softy he could be, especially where his little sister was involved. She had him wrapped around her pinky finger. It was amusing truly, if she only knew! So when she walked away from everything, she still had a safety net to fall back on, not that she ever used it.

It took a lot of courage on her part to walk away from the luxurious life we live the way she did. I had never been to her apartment, but I knew it wasn't anything special. Her furniture was either stuff from her room at the manor or things she found at second hand stores. There's nothing wrong with any of that, but still, it's a big change. I thought maybe I should tell her how I felt about all that tomorrow at some point. She might not want to talk about it, but I thought she deserved to know. With that thought, I set my alarm and rolled over to get some sleep. I had a feeling it was going to be a trying day tomorrow.

VoR-VoR-VoR-VoR-VoR

The next day was bright, sunny, and cold. A front had moved in overnight and dropped the temperature about ten degrees from yesterday. I was extremely happy for the tray of lattes and bag of warm muffins warming my hands as I bustled in from the blustery day outside. I thanked the doorman for his help and went straight to the elevator and punched the button for the twenty-fourth floor with my elbow. As I stepped off the elevator, Vicky was just stepping out of the stairwell, coat and purse on her arm.

"Oh, fantastic! You brought breakfast, and coffee! Is one of those for me?"

"You bet, lady. One pumpkin spice latte for you, caramel with an extra shot for Bella, and chocolate chip muffins for all of us. They were just coming out of the oven when I stopped for the coffees. Let's get into Bella's place before I try to hand everything out though. I don't want to drop anything."

I think Vicky could see the anxiety on my face. I knew I shouldn't be so nervous, but I was, terribly so. This was the first time Bella had reached out and asked for my help on anything, so I really wanted today to go well.

"You know, it'll all be fine, Rose. She loves you, she just doesn't know how to talk to you. You two have never been close, and she thinks you don't approve of her choices," she said softly. Victoria had always been perceptive about these things.

"I hope you're right. I feel the same way; we both chose such different things. I let Daddy tell me what to do, and then Edward and Emmett. I really admire Bella's independence though."

"Tell her that. Just talk to her, give her a chance to tell you what she thinks. Be the big sister she needs right now. I have a feeling she's going to need a lot of advice and support today." By the time she finished her statement, we had reached Bella's door and knocked. Jasper came to the door, as expected. He was looking stressed, much more than usual, as he ushered us in. I realized I had forgotten to get him a coffee, but I was glad I had an extra muffin to offer him. I didn't want to seem rude to this friend of James who had forfeited so much of his own time to help us keep Bella safe and to aid her recovery.

Almost as soon as we were in the door, Jasper was peppering us with questions about our plans for the day, where we were going, what time we expected to be back, did we know to keep Bella from overdoing things? He seemed overly concerned to me, but maybe he just takes his job seriously. Vic handled him with ease though. She promised we wouldn't let anything happen to Bella, that we would call if anything went wrong, and that we all had our weapons for self-defense. We would be fine.

As we left and headed down to the garage to get in Vic's Audi, we were chatting sociably. After we were all settled in the car I tuned back to Bella with a smile.

"So, Bella, spill it. Who's the hot date for tonight? I want all the details," I urged.

Bella flushed and Vic burst out laughing. I was a bit confused, looking from one to the other. Finally, Victoria decided to put me out of my misery.

"Her date is with Jasper, Rose. Didn't you pick up on how nervous he was to let her out of his sight? I thought it was a little obvious, myself."

"Oh. Now that makes sense. I thought he just took his job seriously. Really, Bella, that's great. He seems like a good guy. Just be careful, okay? It gets a little complicated since you two live together."

"Yeah, I know. I actually walked in on him sleeping naked yesterday. I thought I was going to die of embarrassment. Or jump him, not sure which," she returned with a blush.

After that, we headed out to the shops. Bella was actually a lot of fun to shop with. She tried on silly hats, and convinced us to try things on as well. In the end, we never needed to leave _Bridget Anabel._ She found a dress she liked in a deep rose colored cashmere. It looked beautiful with her skin tone and accentuated her long legs. The wrap-around style called attention to her small waist and made her cleavage look more ample than normal. It was prefect for her.

Bella had shoes to match the dress, but wanted to look for some new lingerie. As she said, it had been so long since she'd been on a date, she wanted new pretty under things to celebrate. I had a feeling she might also need a little extra confidence, and there's nothing like knowing you have pretty lingerie to make a girl feel better. So on we trekked to Victoria's Secret. Bella picked out a lot of new stuff, and picked out some things for Vic and I too. I had to admit, she had good taste. I was impressed. We all walked out with several bags apiece.

It was a good thing our shopping didn't take too long after all. Turns out that Vicky had booked us treatments at the spa nearby. So in we all went for massages, mani/pedis, and for Bella, a waxing. Since she wasn't very flexible right now without hurting herself, she was a bit hairy…everywhere. Now, while the legs aren't so bad, more sensitive areas are just that, sensitive, as I can personally attest to. Bella opted for just the full leg with a cleaning up of the bikini area, rather than a Brazilian. Can't blame her there. But at least things should stay neat for her for a while.

While we were all having our massages, all in one room, we were able to really gossip.

"So, Bella," I ventured, "are you really ready for dating? I mean, I know it wasn't very long ago that you weren't talking to Jasper, now you're going on a date with him? Have I missed something here?"

Bella tilted her head in my direction, and smiled slightly. "I'm not entirely sure I am ready for it, but I really like Jasper. I haven't felt this way before, about anyone. I know that I was having a lot of trouble a few weeks ago, but there were a lot of… extenuating circumstances involved. But I'm giving this a chance now. And I'm actually really hopeful."

"Extenuating circumstances, huh? Explain, little girl."

Bella sighed before closing her eyes again. "Well, you know that when Alec kidnapped me, he told me his name was Jasper. He looked a lot like the real Jasper. He even claimed a similar background. And he terrorized me. Rose, he hit me, he kept me trapped first in a basement and then in a tool shed. I was cold, he didn't always feed me, and he was convinced I was in love with him but just playing hard to get. He was going to rape me, Rose." Her voice broke as she said the last bit, and I had never felt like such a cad for making her talk about it, or so angry at another person for making her feel this way. If I ever got my hands on Alec…

"So clearly, I had some trouble when he first showed up and was always around. I was really having trouble differentiating between Alec and Jasper. But I've had some great help along the way to get me dealing with that better. I've been talking to Jasper's sister Bree, who has told me a lot of fun stories from the two of them growing up. And my therapist, Kiara, has been really great, giving me a lot of techniques to cope with the whole episode.

"I've felt a draw to Jasper since I first woke up, more or less. But he's been really patient and great with me too. He's called me out when I'm being unreasonable, but really supportive when I needed to just cry. And he's protecting me, caring for me; he's given up his whole life to take care of me. I think that deserves at least a chance."

I looked over at her, noting her closed eyes and the soft smile playing around her lips. She looked like she was reliving a pleasant memory. I looked over her had and caught Victoria's eye. She nodded at me, indicating that there was something Bella wasn't telling us. Vic spoke up this time.

"Beeellllllaaaaa," she said in a singsong voice, "what aren't you telling us? You know it's the spa code: you must spill all details. That's the rules! Tell us, girl!"

She sighed again and turned over as her masseuse asked so he could work on her back. "Well, we sort of made out a bit yesterday… while he was naked." From the sound of her voice, it was a good ting her face was hidden in the pillow. She may have been blushing a delicate shade of tomato red.

Vic and I gasped in unison.

"You made out with him?"

"He was naked!" we asked at the same time.

"You might better continue that explanation, Bella. And if you ever tell your brothers about this, leave out that he was naked," Vic advised.

I had to chime in as well. "And don't spare the details! What happened? How was it?"

Bella took a deep breath and let it out before she explained. "It was right after I got the veil delivery from Alec. He had been napping in his room after his shower and when I screamed, he didn't think twice at all. He just ran out to the living room, gun in hand, naked as the day he was born."

"Oh, that's sweet. He was too worried about you to bother finding pants!" Vic exclaimed. I had to agree that it did show he cared.

"Anyway, once he saw that it was safe and no one was attacking me or anything, he covered up with a blanket and held me while I cried. He was really reassuring, telling me that it was actually another clue for us to follow to find Alec. I got him to tell me the stories about some of his tattoos. He's been through so much, and he really cares about the people in his life, whether they were his family or his soldiers. There's a lot of depth to him. So I looked up after he told me another story, and then he kissed me. It was probably the most intense moment of my life, in a romantic way anyway. He was gentle, and passionate, and sweet, all at the same time. We ended up lying on the couch together, making out like teenagers. And he was the one who stopped it, not me. " She sighed as she let out that last detail.

I was dumbfounded. "You mean, you were there, willing, in his lap, and he didn't go for it?"

There was an obvious smile in her voice now. "Nope, he didn't want to take advantage of me. He said we had business to take care of so we could catch Alec, but that he would really like to take me out tonight instead. I think he wants a real relationship with me."

It was Vic's turn to speak up again. "Yeah, that completely sounds like the Sarge I know. Honorable to the core. He's not in this for just a one-night stand, Bells. Just do me a favor, okay? Be careful with him? He's not been with anyone but Maria, ever. If he's making a move on you, it's because he really cares. Just be honest with him about your feelings."

"Mmhmm, of course. I really like him too, Vic. I don't want to hurt him."

I decided this conversation had gotten entirely too serious. "So, Bella, he was only wearing a blanket, right? Did you get a look at the goods? Anything you'd like to add to your tale?" I teased.

I could tell she wasn't completely comfortable with the topic, but how else was she going to ask the questions she might need answered?

"Well, um, it seemed like it was pretty sizable, but it's not like a have much frame of reference, so I don't know, Rose."

"So you haven't… uh… seen many to compare?" I asked. Really, how do you as your little sister, who you don't know that well, if she's still a virgin?

"Uh, no, Rose. I had a few encounters in college, you know, messing around with a guy at a party, but nothing ever went that far. Just a few make out sessions. I never really dated, other than Riley, and we all know nothing happened there. I was more his fag hag than his girlfriend," she said into the pillow.

"You _knew_ he was gay? Why didn't you break up with him?" I was shocked she had let that go on for any length of time.

"Well, it was a good situation for both of us, Rose. He got to convince his parents he was straight, so they wouldn't cut him off until he'd already moved out, and I got to go out places without an escort. Daddy and Edward never sent a bodyguard on our dates with us, since no one was worried about anything happening to us. So I told them we were going to the movies, and we went to whatever party was happening with his friends instead. Win: win all around."

I was officially in awe of my little sister. I thought I was clever in ditching my guards periodically, but she was able to do it most every weekend. And she had a best friend to do it with.

"Bella, I am so impressed with you. I know we haven't been close, but I am so proud of you. I was impressed before, when I simply thought you had left the family to stand up for yourself and tried to make it on your own. But now that I see how very aware you were of everything, and how you worked it to your advantage, I am amazed. I bow to your excellence." I was aware that I sounded a little like my husband, but I couldn't bring myself to care. This was amazing! I wonder if Edward knew he had been played?

We spent the remainder of our massages trading stories about the men in out lives, and about dating them. Well, Vic and I shared. Bella mostly listened and absorbed. I got the impression she was not as ill informed as she made out. As it happens, I was right. She had a friend in college who was quite promiscuous and also liked to talk about her conquests. Most all Bella's questions about that type of thing had been answered years ago, she was just waiting for a good enough guy to move her knowledge from theory into practice. I had a feeling Jasper might just be that guy.

After a bit of a lounge to relax from the massages, we all showered and redressed to get Bella home for a nap. We agreed that we would both be back in three hours, to help with her hair and make up and get her dressed for the date. After she laid down, we headed out to the living room to chat with Jasper for a little while. He was taking her to a new comedy club downtown so they could get in dinner and a show, without wearing Bella out. He asked for Vic's help, getting things set up here for the after-date. Vic agreed to put out the things for him, and he went to run the errands and pick up flowers for Bella. I had to admit, he seemed too good to be true. But I really hope he was as great as he seemed, Bella deserved it. And from the stories I've heard, he's one of a very few men that seems good enough for her too.

Vic ran up to her penthouse to spend a little time with James, while I watched movies on Bella's couch. When Jasper returned, he had left everything in James and Vic's place before coming in to grab a bag of his own clothes before going to get ready upstairs himself. Vic had come back down with him and together we curled Bella's hair, painted her face with just the lightest accenting of her natural features, and helped her into the dress and heels for tonight. She was beautiful, and her excitement was shining out of her.

At 7:00 sharp, there was a knock on the door and we opened it to a very handsome Jasper, in evening clothes, with a multi-layered bouquet of gladiolus, hibiscus, Gerber daisies, and pansies. It was lovely, and much better than roses, as far as I was concerned. After Bella found a vase and got the flowers situated, we bid them goodnight. Jasper caught Vic's eye, and she nodded, mouthing ten-thirty to him behind Bella's head. He smiled widely at us and turned, offering his arm to Bella. I couldn't help but be just a little jealous of her. It was clear she was about to be wooed for the evening. I don't think I could ask for more for my little sister.

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A/N: We're still review whores. They're almost as good as Jasper in a suit with flowers at your door. Send us some love.

Recs for the week:

Forget Me Not, by LiveInDakota. It's an Edward/Bella fic, but totally great. Lots of unexpected twists and turns.

Lady Shakespeare has some great stories. I got totally caught up in her Bella's Revenge and it's sequel, My Heart's Desire. Go read her stuff and give her some love too.

Also, if you guys have any great recs for us, let me know. I keep a list on my desk of stories to check out. I'm always up for a great Jasper.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: We own nothing, SM owns all. But we love playing in her sandbox.

We'd like to thank all our readers, and especially our reviewers. You never cease to amaze us.

VoR

Chapter 10

James POV

There are times when certain things in your life all seem right, where plans just come together, and you couldn't be happier. Today was one of those times. Jasper was taking Bella out today. It's been a long road for them, and though I knew it wasn't over, I was happy to see something good come from the darkness they'd both been through.

I wasn't excited when Edward has originally approached me about his suspicions regarding Jasper's interest and Bella's panic attack. But conversations with Jasper, and Vicky, had helped me see that although I might not like the idea of Bella dating anyone, especially right now, I couldn't ask for a better person to take care of her should she choose to pursue it. I thought back to the conversation I'd had with my wife the night Bella had ripped out her stitches in the hospital.

"_James, just calm down. You're acting like this is a horrible thing. You do remember that this is Jasper we're talking about, right? Your great friend, your brother in arms, Jasper? Is there really another man on the planet you trust with her? This isn't a fling for him, you know. I can see it, he really cares about her," she insisted._

"_Vic, what are you talking about? What do you mean, you can see it?"_

"_J, watch him. Keep an open mind and really watch how he treats her. He's barely left her side since you two rescued her. He sleeps by her side every night, in a very uncomfortable chair, to stop her nightmares. He watches her constantly, learning all her tells, paying attention to how she interacts with everyone else. Did you know that every nurse on her floor is in love with him? Do you think he's even _looked_ at any of them? And they've _all _tried to get his attention. Whatever ends up happening between them, it won't be for lack of caring on his part."_

_I sat back and thought about this for a while. Perhaps it had been there all along and I just never noticed, or perhaps this was something only Vic had noticed, since she saw them together more often. But I had to admit she was making valid points._

"_But, Vic, you don't actually think she's ready for anything do you? Even if I can admit that I respect and admire Jasper, do you really think this is the right time for him to act on these feelings?" I asked her._

_She came over and sat on my lap, running her hand through my hair and handing me a glass of pinot. _

"_Sweetheart, is your sister an adult?" she questioned._

"_Yes, she is," I answered._

"_And is Jasper an adult?" she continued._

"_Of course."_

"_And with the exception of your brother and Emmett, is there anyone on the planet you trust more than Jasper?"_

"_Well, no, but…"_

"_Well, are you going to try to make Bella's decisions for her? Or are you going to let her decide her life's course for herself?"_

"_The only way she'll stick around is if I let her make her own choices. If we get too bossy and tell her what to do, she'll cut off contact with us again, even more so than before," I pointed out._

"_In that case, is there really anything you can do other than trust her to make her wishes clear, and trust Jasper to respect those wishes? You know he's not going to take advantage of her and do something while she's less than coherent. You just have to trust them both." she concluded._

_I sighed in defeat, and she knew she had won._

"_Have faith, sweetheart. It'll all work out the way it's supposed to," and with that the subject was closed. Her fingers ran through my hair again, and as she brought her lips to mine, I allowed her to take my mind off my sister in the most pleasant of ways._

The following day, Edward had insisted on a sit-down with both Jasper and I. It was clear he was convinced that Jasper was putting unwanted advances on Bella, and that these had caused her panic attack. Since I hadn't been there, I was inclined to trust Edward's judgment on the matter, even though I wanted to think better of my friend than that. I had to admit, only to myself, that it had taken quite a bit of coercion just to get Jasper to leave Bella's room, and even then there was a look of longing as he left her to walk with me to the cafeteria. Edward was clearly trying to keep his cool, and had planned out his words carefully, as always, but Jasper wasn't playing along. He refused to share any details on what Edward had interrupted, which I secretly admired, and he stood firm in stating he only had Bella's best interests in mind. I had jumped in and continued questioning him, more gently than Edward, hoping he would open up a bit to me instead. It was his outrage at my insinuation of his desire for a physical relationship though that convinced me that my wife had been right. Whatever Jasper was feeling for Bella, it was sincere. After that, I relaxed. After all, it's not like much could happen between them in the hospital anyway. They were never alone, at least not for more than a few minutes.

Edward was still not happy with the situation, and although I personally would have rather had Bella join a convent than date anyone, I tried to talk some sense into him. Jasper wouldn't force his attentions on a woman, ever. And having him say that he was drawn to Bella years ago surprisingly made me feel better about the whole thing. It showed that this wasn't just a physical thing for him, a good thing since Bella really wasn't up to anything physical anyway.

Over the next couple of weeks, the idea of Bella and Jasper dating, and Sarge possibly someday joining the family, grew on me. However, Bella was being so distant that it seemed there was nothing to worry about in the first place. I had taken to watching their interactions closely whenever I was around, and Bella was definitely nervous and awkward with Jasper. She avoided talking to him whenever possible and refused to look him in the eye. Edward couldn't have been more pleased, but I found I was just the opposite.

I thought Bella's temperament would mesh well with Sarge's. His meticulous planning could use some of Bella's impetuosity and they had such similar senses of humor. But I resigned myself to the idea that they would never be together that way after the very stilted conversation had over Thanksgiving dinner here at my house. Bella had requested that it be a small affair, if we did anything at all, so it was just her and Jasper, Vic and myself, and our mother. Since Renee had had too many martinis and was a bit out of it before dinner was even served, it was a very quiet dinner, with the discomfort palpable in the room. Pleading exhaustion, Bella left before dessert was even served and asked Vicky to walk her back to her place, begging Jasper to stay and enjoy pie and coffee. I noticed that even when she spoke directly to Jasper, she didn't meet his eye.

As we sat and enjoyed a snifter of brandy apiece later that night, I could see the sadness in Jasper's eyes, though he remained stoic enough. A stranger would never have known there was anything the matter, but I did. I also knew not to comment on it, though. This was strictly between them and I was staying well clear of it. After all, Bella didn't want us interfering in her life choices, she said, so this was all on her to fix, until she asked for help.

It was shortly after Thanksgiving that things seemed to thaw between Bella and Sarge. They were more at ease together, and they laughed. I noticed when Vic and I went down for a movie night the next week. Bella was even able to call J by his given name, something I'd never heard her do previously. I was very happy to see them at least getting along, since the danger from Alec had resurfaced. Emmett was in California searching for him now, having traced a couple of his activities to the area surround Berkeley. He hadn't found him yet, but we were closing in. I wanted to catch the bastard so badly, but he was more clever than we had given him credit for. I suppose he had learned more from working with Jasper and I than we really wanted him to about evading capture. That worked wonders in hostile territory, but not as well back here in the states when he was threatening my sister.

I could feel the frown on my face as I thought again about Alec. There was something here that we were missing, some way that he knew what we were up to. I couldn't find any evidence that we had a mole, or were being watched, but I couldn't shake the feeling either. Things just weren't adding up and I had learned long ago to trust my instincts on matters like this. My gut feeling had saved not only my life, but those of my entire team, on numerous occasions.

I consciously pushed the negative thoughts back out of my mind. I wasn't concentrating on them tonight. This evening, I was only concentrating on the positive emotions that felt like they were coursing through the whole building. The girls had taken Bella out for a spa day, which they all seemed to enjoy, and were now downstairs getting her dressed and primped for an evening out. Jasper was using our bathroom for his own ablutions, having already checked with me at least three times on his planned outfit and date agenda. There were currently a half dozen bags strewn around the front room of my penthouse, filled with candles, dessert, wine, and flower arrangements. I couldn't fault J's thoroughness in the romance department. As nervous as he seemed to be about actually going on this date, he certainly had thought about all aspects of it. He had picked out his flowers based not only on their beauty, but the meaning assigned to each, and how he felt they represented Bella. For instance, the bouquet that was resting in my refrigerator consisted of daisies, pansies, gladiolus, and hibiscus. It made for a tall and unique looking arrangement, but it was striking in both its appearance and sentiment. The flowers represented innocence, loving thoughts, strength of character, and delicate beauty, he told me. I could easily see how it all applied to Bella and his feelings about her.

Of course, while he would give her this bouquet when he picked her up, the real surprise would be when they returned from their date later. Though the last thing I wanted to do was help someone "score" with my baby sister, J talked me into helping him set up the apartment for him anyway. I knew he wasn't going to pressure her for anything, and simply wanted this to be memorable for her, so I agreed. We expected they would return close to eleven, so at half past ten, Vic and I would go down to set out the candles, the remaining flowers, and the wine and dessert.

While Jasper was getting himself ready, and Vic was concentrating on Bella, I decided to take a page out of Sarge's book and called a florist for an arrangement of Calla lilies to be delivered here as soon as possible. I then neatly arranged J's bags by the door, and neatened up the rest of our apartment. Checking the groceries, I discovered we had all the fixings for Steak Marsala. I knew I couldn't take Vic out for a fancy night on the town, not if we were going to help J, but I could make it a romantic evening in for my wife. Her favorite flowers, and her favorite meal might help me a bit when compared to Jasper's thoughtful first date. I would never want my wonderful wife thinking I didn't appreciate her.

As I stood in my kitchen slicing the mushrooms for dinner, I thought back over my courtship with Victoria, and imagined how things would be going forward for Bella and Jazz. I hoped they would have fewer bumps in the road for them than we had had. Of course, with Charlie in the nursing home with no chance for recovery from his stroke, they automatically had that hurdle out of the way. I had already cleared the way when it came to marrying for love rather than power in our family. And Jasper is much more mature than I was when I met Vic. He knows what he wants and isn't afraid of settling down. In fact, I think that's actually his dream. He's had enough adventure on nearly every continent on the planet and is now ready for some peace. He and Bella would be well suited that way. Now if we can just get past this Alec situation, maybe we can get them on the road to their own Happily Ever After… provided that's what Bella wants, of course…

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I know it's shorter than usual and late, but for some reason this chapter just wouldn't flow. Sorry.

For recs this week, i suggest:

All Together Different, by KristALchelle

Redemption Comes When Least Expected, by Karen E. Teague

The Threads of Our Souls, by Untamed Loner

Life Happens, so Roll with It, by mama4dukes

Sympathy for the Devil, by Anadabyel

And a Happy Halloween and Blessed Samhain to everyone.


	11. Chapter 11

It's another chapter! Yay.

We still own nothing, but I just ordered a new pair of blue clogs. Does that count?

This chapter follows Chap 22 in Obsessed.

Thanks to everyone who reviews and to everyone who has added us to favorites or alerts. You all rock.

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Victims of Rage

Chapter 11

Emmett POV

I looked up at the stage, watching the girl, Kali, winding herself around the pole. She wasn't bad, had a few moves I'd love to see my girl use. In fact, she even kind of looked like my Rosie, with her blond hair and blue eyes. She was a little shorter than my lovely's five foot, eight inch frame, and her tits were obviously the gift of a surgeon rather than God, like my girl, but she was cute and could dance. I sighed and turned to accept the whiskey another girl was bringing me. Leah, I think, was her name. Cute, but not as good with her moves. Truthfully, there weren't any girls here at the Pink Poodle that I could see bringing back to dance at the club back home. And I was bored stiff.

I'd been cooling my heels here for a few days now. I knew that Alec was staying here in San Jose, and I'd managed to spot him a few times. He knew I was keeping an eye on him, but that was fine. I wanted him to know I was around. This way, he thought he was keeping out of my clutches and that we weren't as close to reeling him in as we were. I still had a hotel suite rented out in my real name in Berkeley, but I also had a room in a seedy place here, near the airport. That one was _not_ in my name. Alec wasn't the only one with multiple aliases, after all. And I, sure as shit, wore them better than he did. Today I was going by Jeremiah Halstead, IT department head on a business trip for my company. I was fairly sure there was a computer securities conference happening in the city this weekend, there was one most weekends anyway.

I was maintaining my cover sitting in this club, since I knew that Alec had spotted me today and got curious. I caught him tailing my car almost immediately after I left his favorite coffee shop this morning. So I played up to what he thought I was, a bumbling idiot, and headed to a strip club. He would never consider that I knew what he was up to and was just throwing him off the scent. I'm not as stupid as everyone seems to think, you know. It's just more useful for me to let them think I am.

I smiled to myself as I thought about my accomplishments today. It had been very smart to start going in to the coffee place every day. I chose to go in just before noon, knowing that Alec usually went earlier. But I needed to get to know the people who he saw when he went in, so it couldn't be too much later than him. It's surprising how helpful people can be when you flash them some dimples, a fake badge, and treat them like a human being.

You know, I have nothing but respect for people who work in customer service, restaurant service, or anywhere dealing with the public. Why, you ask? Because people in general, and Americans especially, have this attitude that they are the center of the fucking universe, and like to look down on anyone who has to serve them. Word to the fucking wise here, folks: when someone is handling your food or drink, be nice and tip them well. They have memories like elephants, and can be vengeful assholes too. Remember, without your tip, service people only make $2.13 per hour, according to the federal minimum wage. How much do you really think their job is worth without you supplementing that income? But treat them with a little respect and a good tip, and they're putty in your hands.

At least that's how Sammi (with a stupid mother fucking heart over the i on her name tag, girl should be a stripper) acted when I requested her help with a little project. She knew who Alec was, and that he doesn't tip, and is a rude son of a bitch. He has a tendency to take up a table that could seat 4 for over an hour of their rush, while ordering nothing more than coffee, rather than just taking a seat at the bar that would be a better fit for him and his laptop. Needless to say, Sammi didn't like him. Apparently, he went so far as to call her "girl" and whistle for a refill. Stupid prick.

Ah well, Alec's stupidity and lack of manners is my opportunity. When I stopped in yesterday with my usual charming demeanor (and over 30% tip), Sammi was in quite the mood. Alec had been rude to another customer, and threatened to call the health inspector because one of the regulars had his dog at an outdoor table. Go figure, the big, bad marine is afraid of poodles. Classic. I laughed myself stupid over that one. So I took advantage of the situation and asked Sammi to do me a little favor. Next time he came in, drop a little button into his laptop bag. He was never without it, after all, so it was the best way to track him. I had already managed to get a tracking beacon on his car, but this one also contained a microphone that I could use to get a better idea of any plans he was making.

It took a little convincing to get Sammi to agree to help me out. She's not as dumb as she seems truly, but she wanted to buy my story about being a detective and tracking him for a murder case. (Hey, it's plausible and shit!) I did warn her not to get caught, whatever she did, but that if she simply dropped a small black button into the folds of his laptop case, she'd be helping take a murderer off the streets. Not untrue at all. I was a little impressed with how she'd gone about accomplishing things though.

Apparently, Alec had made another rude comment today, and insulted the girl. When will he learn? But in retaliation, she not only spilled coffee on him while refilling his cup, she dropped the chip into his bag while wiping up the spill. Pretty ingenious of her, if you ask me. She hadn't been sure she wanted to help me, but after his treatment of her today and their regular yesterday, she was cemented in her desire to help, or at least to get him back. When I entered the shop today, she was practically bouncing in her excitement to tell me. Perfect.

So here I was, playing the part of the coked up buffoon (yeah, I like the blow, but I'm not stupid) and cooling my heels in a strip club to throw Alec off the scent. I'm sure the sight was a little strange, me sitting with my laptop out and Bluetooth headset in, in a strip club, but the whiskey was good, and the whole thing served my purposes well. The girls had seen just about everything in this biz, and weren't paying me too much attention, just enough to keep my glass and my belly full. I tipped them every time they came around. And as a bonus, the wings here were out of this world.

I was still bored here though. I missed my house, my bed, and my wife. And the pole she had had installed in the bedroom so she could dance for me herself. Rose would do just about anything I asked of her, it was great. I hadn't initially been thrilled with the idea of marrying her, but after I got her thawed out a bit, she was quite passionate and kept me quite happy. Though she was disgusted the first time I asked her to suck my cock, now she is a master at giving head. Seriously, she should teach a class on that. Beyond that, she was loyal to a fault, smart enough to know when to shut her trap, and she even liked watching the same horrible movies I did. It was kind of a game with us to see who could find the worst one. Shit, I wanted to go home. When the hell would that idiot do something so I could end this fucking babysitting trip?

I was poking around on my laptop, looking at the design specs Edward had sent me for the gift he was planning to give Bella for Christmas. I had already started on the chips, now I just had to design the activation mechanism and get them implanted in the watch he had chosen. I had to admit; this was a brilliant gift from my brother in law to his sister who doesn't want to be protected, but certainly appreciated being rescued. I couldn't wait to see her reaction though. Hopefully, it will be on par with her episode when we tried to explain the alarm system in her condo. That shit was epic!

I would never have thought I'd see big bad Edward Masen pleading desperately for a chance to explain himself to a woman twelve years younger than him, who was severely injured, and weighed a buck twenty soaking wet in her clothes. They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned? Fuck that! Hell hath no fury like Bella Masen/Conti/whateverthefuckshe'scallingherself when she thinks she's being spied on. I thought I might have to get involved and restrain her, something I definitely did _not_ want to do, since I think Sarge may have disemboweled me if I touched her. He was another protective motherfucker. But Bella, she was over the top. It took a long time to get her to see reason and understand that we all had similar systems in all our places. Cameras are not for spying, just for catching anyone who trips the alarm. It was just standard operating procedure for us.

I was giggling to myself (yeah, I giggle, get over it) when suddenly my ears perked up. I had been routing the bug that was on Alec to my Bluetooth headset, and up to now, it'd been pretty quiet. But now I could hear a cell phone ringing. About time for some action!

I had never been so happy for the invention of the speakerphone as I was right now. Damn, Alec really should know better. Never take your important calls on speaker. It's just way too easy for anyone who might be eavesdropping, be it the Feds, or another criminal! Or me! That's just smart business.

As I listened to their conversation, I couldn't help but be a little bothered by the voice of the caller. It was too familiar, I had heard it before. Faces I'm not so good with, voices and asses though, those I can id every time. That shit gets programmed in and trapped in my brain or something. And that's a voice I've heard. Now I just have to place it. I'll know it if I hear it not distorted by two phones and the material of the computer bag.

I quickly took notes on what they were discussing. I was glad that she thought I was still in Berkeley, and he didn't seem to be disagreeing with her. Good, he thought I was still based there. These names would be useful though, Felix, Molly… I wonder what warehouse they're talking about? I was happy to hear they were indeed planning something. That meant there would be something to do, some action to take care of. Way better than the psycho-sitting detail I've been on for the past few weeks. Even though they're clearly planning to kidnap her again, the good news was that they were only planning on drugging Bella with ketamine. No lasting effects from that drug… not that they would ever get their hands on Bella anyway.

The phone call ended quickly, but it was enough. It told us what they were planning, and that even though Alec was here, there were people working for him who were much closer, too close. But at least we had some names now. I'll have to ask Rose if she's heard of any Felix or Molly hanging around somewhere, and warn her to stay away from them while she's at it. I didn't like the idea of my wife anywhere near two losers who worked for that psycho. You just can't predict what people will do when they realize they've been caught, and Rosie needs to steer clear of that mess.

I had assumed that things would be quiet again after the call ended, but boy was I wrong. It sounded like World War III was breaking out in that hotel room. Where's the thorazine when you need it? And psycho boy was screaming! This shit is hilarious! I wonder if he knows that he talks out loud in different voices? Very Gollum vs. Smeagol if you ask me. But his delusions about what Bella wants are more than a little troubling. If he truly believes, and I think he does, that Bella wants him, I don't see much that will dissuade him from this fucked up plan he's hatching. And the things he's saying about James and Jasper are fucked up. Of course they bossed you around, you twat, they were your commanding officers. But when he threatened Rose, that's my limit. Call me whatever you like, but no one fucks with my woman but me. That wasn't even because I love her, just that I'm a possessive son of a bitch. And there was no way in hell I'd be helping split personality boy. How the hell did this nutcase get into the Marines and get someone to hand him a gun? Ah, the wonders of the military, post 9/11. They just weren't screening as carefully anymore.

All joking aside, I can't help but feel like it's time to circle the wagons. This guy was several peanuts short of a Crackerjack box, no doubt, but he was still dangerous. Possibly even more so than we thought. I called Edward.

"Masen here," he answered in his usual brusque manner.

"Edward, it's Emmett. Got some news for you. Can you talk?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm alone. What have you got for me?"

I proceeded to update him with all the new information, including the bit about Molly, Felix, and the planned abduction.

"Edward, this guy is considerably less stable than we thought. He's definitely something to worry about. I think we need to bunker down and figure out a way to flush these flunkies of his out into the open," I advised.

Edward was silent for a moment, and I knew he was considering everything I'd told him and compiling it with all the information he had in Seattle. I waited.

"Alright, Emmett. You already put a GPS chip in his car?" he asked.

I answered without hesitation. "Yup, got my own design hidden on the frame, and also hacked into the OnStar system to get the id that way, in case mine loses power or is discovered, thought it won't be. Plus, the bug in his computer bag has a locator as well. There's no way we're going to lose him."

"Okay, here's what we're going to do. I'm sending Mitch down to take over your spot. He looks enough like you, if he's sticking to your general schedule, and stays checked in to the hotel in Berkeley, there's no reason for Alec to suspect anything's changed. He'll be getting off a plane in Oakland International at… noon tomorrow. You know how to get a hold of him and set up a transfer of keys and crap. As soon as you switch things with him, you get on the return flight, scheduled at… 2:28 from Terminal 2, gate 5. Tickets are ready in your alias' name at check in. Call me once you land and we'll all meet at James' place. I don't want to go far, but I don't want it in Bella's, in case that Molly person gets too close. It sounds like she's already too close for comfort." I could hear his fingers clicking on the computer keys as he spoke, making the reservations no doubt.

I replied quickly. I was excited to be coming home, and gearing up for a fight. "I'll be there, boss. I'll call Mitch this evening to set things up. See you tomorrow, Edward."

I hung up, with a strange combination of tension and ease running through me. Things were finally starting to move along. We had a plan, and I knew we were going to get that psycho, one way or another. That thought made me feel a lot better than just sitting and waiting. Everything together coming perfectly for this plan. Now if it only stayed on this perfect course, we'd be all set. But I couldn't stop the voice in the back of my head. How often do things work out exactly as they're supposed to?

* * *

Important news! We have a poll going on our FF.n profiles. Should Alec die or go to prison? Come vote!

Have you checked out Pheonix's One Shot, Infinity? Do. Now. And review.

Recs for the week:

Worth It, by NightFairy85

Elemental, by tallulahBelle

Major Desires and Eternity Games, both by Tamilya

Major Changes, by Sabi'sSookie


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